Loving Hermione
by Talipatra
Summary: Hermione looks for comfort in one place and to comfort in another.
1. Chapter 1

I woke up slowly, feeling warm and comfortable and…safe. Odd. It wasn't that I didn't feel safe at Hogwarts, of course I did. I just…felt safer somehow.

I did a mental assessment of my body, trying to figure out what it was that made me feel safer this morning of all mornings. I was in bed, so that could be part of it. I was suddenly aware of something warm and solid pressed firmly against my back. I realized with a start that it was a chest when I felt the slow steady thrumming of a heart beat. I could feel something heavy over my waist and warm splayed across my lower stomach. An arm and hand. The more awake I became, the more aware I became. I was completely naked. And so was he.

I shot up into a sitting position, grabbing the blankets and clutching them to my chest as it all came flooding back to me.

***

Harry rubbed my arm gently as I cried on his shoulder. Why did this hurt so damn much? Why didn't Ron see me standing right in front of him?

"He's a git, ok? He's just stupid is all."

I sat up and gave him a wobbly smile, wiping my eyes. "He's a boy, Harry."

He sighed and nodded. He still had his arm around me and he pulled me closer still, his other hand rubbing my knee gently. I wrapped my arm around his leg and rested my head back on his shoulder. We sat like that for a long moment. I suddenly felt something on my head. I looked up startled and my face crashed into Harry's, his lips meeting mine.

We sat back, embarrassed. His face flushed lightly. "Sorry. I was just…I was kissing the top of your head. I didn't mean…"

I nodded and sat for a moment, studying his face. I hesitantly leaned forward and kissed him again, cupping his cheek with my hand.

"Hermione, what about…?"

"I just need to feel wanted, Harry. Don't you?" I looked up at him, desperately.

His green eyes searched my face for a moment, worried. "Are you sure?"

I suddenly realized what I was asking and what he was agreeing to. I swallowed hard and nodded. He leaned forward and kissed me again, firmer this time.

His hand tangled up in my hair and I smiled against his mouth as I did the same. It was awkward and clumsy, reminding me somewhat of Viktor. I snickered and pulled away. Harry looked at me, slightly hurt.

"I didn't think I was that bad," he muttered, running his fingers through his hair agitatedly.

"You're not," I smiled. "It's just funny, us snogging. Don't you think?"

He pretended to look annoyed but I could tell he felt the same way. He rolled his eyes and started laughing. "Yeah, I guess it just wasn't meant to be, you and me."

I grinned and squeezed his knee as I stood up. "Come on, let's go find a place to sit and talk that isn't so out in the open. You think anyone's in your room?"

He frowned. "I didn't think we could go into each other's dorms."

"That's just a safety precaution to keep boys out of the girls' dorm," I grinned. "I can come to your room anytime."

His eyes widened and I laughed. Fifteen minutes later, we'd made our way through the still crowded common room and up to his dorm. Ron wasn't anywhere we could see him and neither was Lavender and for that, I was grateful. Harry stiffened slightly as we passed Ginny and Dean, wrapped up in each other, completely oblivious to the room around them.

I felt a little guilty about that, actually. I'd told her to date other boys so she didn't just sit and pine away over Harry. Now that he'd finally opened his eyes she hadn't really noticed him. It was so stupid and circular and I was hating that I was in the same ridiculous cycle.

"Mione?"

I looked up guiltily at Harry as I settled on his bed. "Sorry. Wallowing."

He smiled and pulled me into another hug. "It'll be fine, I swear."

I shrugged non-commitally. I didn't really know if I believed him. He rubbed my arms and pulled me against his chest as he leaned back against the headboard of his small bed. I leaned against him, completely comfortable.

I loved Harry, I really did, and it pained me that he felt what I felt. I rubbed his knee absentmindedly and suddenly Harry pushed me off his chest.

I looked over my shoulder at him. "Everything alright?"

He had a strange look on his face. "Yeah, fine."

"You're lying."

"It's…not something I really want to discuss at the moment."

I frowned. "What wouldn't you want to discuss with me?"

He gave me a pointed look. I stared back at him before something caught my eye. I glanced down at his lap before he grabbed a pillow and covered himself. My jaw dropped.

"Really, Harry?"

He flushed. "You're a girl. My body doesn't necessarily know that _that_ couldn't happen."

I twisted around, kicking my shoes off onto the floor and studied him. "Who says it couldn't?"

His jaw dropped now. "Are you daft?"

I shrugged and sighed. "Why not? It might make us feel better."

He looked skeptical. "Because you're you and I'm me?"

I raised up on my knees and leaned forward, bracing my hands on either side of his head and kissed him. My heart was pounding as I did it, scared he wouldn't kiss me back.

His hands tightened over the pillow as he realized I was basically astride him, but he still kissed me back. Then he let go of the pillow and awkwardly placed them on my waist, pulling me forward a little. I smiled and sat carefully on the pillow. He grunted slightly and I shifted back from him a little. We looked at each other for a beat before he pulled out his wand and whispered something. The curtains around the bed immediately closed and a small candle above the headboard lit, casting a surprisingly bright light into the enclosed space.

I raised my eyebrows. "Seems like you have some practice with that."

His face reddened slightly. "I thought it might be useful someday. No one can hear us, either."

I nodded, my face warming and my heart rate picking up. I shifted again and leaned forward, kissing him. This time he met me halfway, pushing the pillow to the side.

I refused to think about what I was doing. I thought about everything all the time and for once, it was nice to take a holiday from all that. I focused on the taste and feel of the wonderful boy under me. I loved how his hands were carefully exploring my body, hesitantly slipping up under my shirt and skimming my bare skin. I followed suit on his chest and he moaned softly against me.

Suddenly he was tugging lightly on my shirt. I sat back and let him pull it off of me, shivering slightly in the cooler air. It wasn't cold by far in the curtained bed, but I had goose bumps anyway as Harry's eyes calmly took me in. My breath hitched in my throat as he leaned forward and lightly kissed my shoulder.

"You're beautiful, Hermione."

I closed my eyes and focused on his mouth on my skin. I couldn't stop a soft groan as he lightly nipped my collarbone.

"How do you know what to do?" I asked hoarsely.

"I don't," he said softly, his hands settling on my hips and pulling me lightly against him. "I'm just going with what feels right."

I nodded and put my hands on his chest, feeling for his buttons. I fumbled with them clumsily as he pulled my hips against him again. I managed to get his shirt off of him and sucked in my breath. I would never complain about Quidditch again.

Harry groaned softly, his face pressed against my chest as he pulled me harder against his lap. I pushed back and studied him.

"If we do this, we need to talk first."

His eyes were black as he looked up at me. "Stop thinking all the fucking time, Hermione. Live in the moment."

I stared at him in surprise as he wrapped his arms around me and expertly flipped us on the bed so that I was under him. Quidditch again, had to be. He stretched out to the side of me, his hand moving to my jeans as we kissed some more. Stop thinking. It was easier said than done.

I lifted my hips when he tugged on the waistband and he pulled my jeans and panties off at the same time, crumpling them up at the foot of the bed with our shirts. He sat back and pulled off his pants and underwear, too. I couldn't help the nervous giggle that escaped as he came back over me. He grinned back at me before kissing my ear.

I nervously wrapped my arms around his body and pulled him against me. He sighed softly, running one hand down my body and hooking my knee over his hip. I sucked in my breath and he froze as we both suddenly realized what we were about to do.

He stared down at me, one hand still on my knee, the other braced beside my head. "We can stop now and we don't have to talk about it."

I nodded. "I know."

He looked at me expectantly. I answered by pulling him back down to me, kissing him again and lifting my hips up against his body. He sighed softly, smiling at me hesitantly as he started to rub me lightly with his fingers.

I groaned as my hips bucked against his hand involuntarily. His grin widened as he rubbed harder, carefully slipping his finger inside me.

"Oh fuck, Harry," I gasped, fisting the sheets on the bed as my back arched lightly and he leaned more into me. I could feel him hard against my thigh and I managed to free a hand and reached for him.

He froze when my fingers wrapped around him. I was hesitant at first as he looked down at me, his breathing labored. I shyly stroked him and his eyes rolled back a little in his head as he groaned softly.

"I'm not…I don't think…" he panted and I nodded, understanding what he couldn't say. I summoned my wand and muttered a quick contraceptive spell I'd looked up ages ago. Thankfully, Harry didn't ask about it. I would have been embarrassed to admit that I'd thought about using it with Viktor.

I shifted slightly on the bed as he pushed my knees open a little more and guided himself into me.

I grimaced slightly but it didn't hurt as much as I thought it would. Harry was a perfect fit, apparently. I never thought I'd be in a position to know this fact. He moved against me and it was another awkward moment as we tried to figure out the motions. We figured it out relatively quickly which was good since Harry didn't last long. He shuddered after a minute or so and collapsed on top of me, holding his weight off of me by resting on his elbows, his head against my shoulder. I rubbed his back and shifted slightly, hooking my ankles and resting my heels on his lower back.

"You ok?"

He chuckled softly and nodded. "You?"

"Perfect." I kissed his damp forehead affectionately. "Am I allowed to start thinking yet?"

He grinned and looked up at me. "Not until tomorrow." He kissed me again and shifted so we were lying on our sides, facing each other. He lightly pushed my hair out of my face and studied me in the light of the single candle.

"Do you realize how beautiful you are Hermione?" he asked softly. "I see what Cormac and Viktor see for sure." He leaned closer and kissed my jaw. "And what Ron won't admit he sees."

I shivered and smiled up at him, lightly tracing his scar with my fingertips. "I've always seen what the girls see in you, Harry."

I smiled and kissed him lightly. "We're still friends, right? This doesn't change absolutely everything does it?"

"Not everything, but it does change some things," he admitted. "And we'll talk about them tomorrow." He pulled me against his chest. "For now, we'll sleep."

I snuggled against his chest and closed my eyes. Sleep sounded really good right now.

We both woke up a short while later when Harry's roommates returned. I cringed, wishing I could shrink down to nothing. The boys were laughing and talking loudly until they saw the curtains, then their voices became hushed. I looked up at Harry questioningly.

He grinned. "We all have an agreement that if we don't want to be bothered, we'll pull the curtains. So, they're giving me my privacy."

I grimaced at the thought at what exactly most teenage boys needed privacy for. We listened in amusement as they continued to discuss that afternoon's quidditch match. I supposed by that point it was actually after midnight.

Harry pulled himself into a sitting position, resting against the headboard. I sat up next to him and snuggled closer to him. It wasn't cold, our combined body heat was actually making the enclosed space quite warm, but I pulled the blankets up around my chest anyway. Harry rolled his eyes at me.

"I saw them earlier."

I grinned. "I know, but it feels weird being naked around you."

"Even after?" he wrapped his arm around my shoulders and gently rubbed my bare arm with his thumb.

I nodded and flushed slightly. "I guess especially after. No one's ever seen me like that before."

"Me either," he admitted."

I grinned. "I assumed. You haven't exactly dated much, Harry."

"Well, excuse me for not being a man slut like Malfoy," he laughed. "I've been busy trying to stop Voldemort from coming back."

I grinned up at him. "And you and Ron complain about my priorities."

He laughed and rolled over on me, slipping his hands under the sheet and tickling my bare stomach.

I laughed and pushed him away, wriggling under him. He grinned and kept tickling. I squealed and pushed against him again, making him lose his balance and fall on top of me with his full weight.

I grunted as he knocked my breath out.

"Shit, are you alright, Hermione?" he asked anxiously, propping himself up on his hands and looking down at me with concern. "You caught me off guard."

I sucked in a breath and rolled my eyes. "Some quidditch player you are," I teased.

He frowned at me. "All right, up."

I sat up, surprised. He sat back on his heels and I sat on mine, looking at him apprehensively. Suddenly he reached forward and pulled me closer, tickling again. I started laughing uncontrollably and instinctively tackled him, me on top this time.

He grinned up at me and his hands rested comfortably on my waist. "Still embarrassed at our being naked?"

I rolled my eyes and started to pull back. "I wasn't until you reminded me." His hands held on to me firmly, not letting me go. I raised an eyebrow at him, suddenly noticing he was aroused again.

"Really?"

He snickered and raised his head, kissing me lightly. "Why not?"

I didn't have a good answer for that so I kissed him back. He reached his hand down and pulled one of my legs up so my knee was on the side of him. I pulled the other up, not sure what he was intending. He then sat up and gently lifted my hips, pulling me forward and onto him. I groaned softly as the connection was completed. He held me in place for a moment, his forehead resting against my chest.

"God I love this."

I grinned and kissed the top of his head. "Me too."

His hands started to pull against my hips and I rocked onto him, each time pulling him deeper inside of me. He groaned again, kissing my breasts as they were essentially shoved into his face with each movement I made.

"Did I mention you have fantastic breasts," he managed as we moved against each other.

I grinned at him. "You didn't. Thanks."

Somehow he slipped his hand in between us and started to rub me. I whimpered and grabbed a fistful of his hair. "Don't stop," I gasped. I felt the build-up in my stomach and I closed my eyes, focusing on the feelings and sounds of pleasure we were both making.

"Oh god," he groaned.

I pulled his mouth to mine for a wet kiss and in that kiss we both came undone. We sagged against each other, too spent to move for a minute. Harry's arms were still around me, though now fairly limp. His head was resting against my chest and my cheek was against the top of his head. I slipped my arms around his neck and hugged him lightly. He kissed my chest and looked up at me, his eyes still dark.

"We've got to do that again sometime."

I grinned and kissed him again. I realized with a start that I could hear Ron's voice on the other side of the curtains. He was talking about Lavender. I tensed as I realized that Harry was still inside of me. I looked down at him and he gently stroked my hair.

"They can't hear us so you can shout whatever you want at him," he offered.

I smiled and shook my head. "Wouldn't really make me feel better, but thanks." I kissed him lightly and climbed off of him carefully. He stretched out on the bed and pulled me to him.

"Then let's sleep and forget about it, ok? We can be upset tomorrow."

I nodded and kissed the arm he had draped over me and closed my eyes. I really wanted to forget about Ron for a while, even if just through dreams. Dreams were a perfect means of escaping reality, in my opinion.

***

I stared at Harry in shock. How could I let this happen? Twice? I groaned softly and held my head in my hands.

"Mione?"

I looked up at him miserably. "How badly have we damaged our friendship?" I asked tiredly.

He pulled himself into a sitting position, adjusting the sheet so we could both be covered. "I think it depends on what happens now." He looked at me expectantly. "We're not together now, are we?"

I shook my head. "No."

"We just…needed comforting last night, right?"

I nodded again, confused as to when Harry became the logical one. He smiled. "We don't have to talk about it again if you don't want to, Hermione. I can keep secrets."

I rolled my eyes. I knew Harry Potter was excellent at keeping secrets from people, he just wasn't quite as good at keeping them from Ron or me. I sighed and shifted, curling up against his chest. Having done what we did, I felt more comfortable with him now. I closed my eyes and listened to his heart beat. It was incredibly soothing in its constancy. I felt myself drifting off to sleep again when I heard something that made my blood run cold.

"Harry? You up yet?"

Ron. I sat up quickly and reached for my clothes. I wordlessly tossed Harry his and held mine. I dug my wand out from under the pillow next to Harry's and waved it over us. Our clothes snapped onto our bodies, almost painfully, as Harry answered.

"Yeah, just a sec, Ron." He looked down at himself with amazement. I rolled my eyes.

"He won't have heard you. The silencing charm, remember?"

He rolled his eyes and looked me over. "Ready?"

I nodded and smoothed my hair uselessly. Harry flicked his wand and the curtains pulled back, revealing the tower room to be flooded with sunlight. Apparently, we'd slept really late. Ron was standing there, his mouth agape as he stared at us, looking back and forth between us.

"Hi Ron," I smiled, hoping he wouldn't guess. "Harry and I came up to talk in private about some things and I fell asleep." I climbed off the bed and stretched. "I guess we've missed breakfast?"

"Yeah," he said, sounding dazed. "I just got back. You slept up here all night?"

"No Ron, she levitated in in the middle of the night," Harry rolled his eyes, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed and rubbing his eyes sleepily. I sat on the window seat and pulled on my trainers. Harry and I avoided each other's eyes.

"Let's go to Hagrid's," I said brightly. "I'll just pop to my room and take a quick bath and meet you in the common room in half an hour?"

"Sounds good," grinned Harry, looking up at Ron expectantly.

"I think I'm supposed to see Lavender," he admitted softly.

I stiffened. "Fine then. Harry?"

"I'm in."

I nodded curtly and left quickly before the angry tears had a chance to fall.

***

It was nearly the end of term and Ron and I still weren't talking. Seven months of being the go between was starting to wear on Harry, I knew, but he had almost made up his mind to finally ask Ginny out. I kept telling him he should, but of course he doubted my opinions on the matter. Typical males.

I sighed and headed towards the loo. I knew I shouldn't have had that third pumpkin juice but I was just so thirsty at the time. I was definitely regretting it now.

I shouldered into the room and rolled my eyes. Apparently Moaning Myrtle had improved her crying because it sounded real now. I ducked into a stall and hung my bag on the hook before sitting and relieving myself. It was a wonderful feeling and I sighed softly with the relief. I adjusted my clothes and grabbed my bag as I exited, dropping it on the floor at the sink as I leaned over to wash my hands. I noticed suddenly that the tears had stopped.

I looked up curiously as I wiped my hands. "Myrtle?"

She floated from the opposite direction of the crying, a coy little smile on her face. "It wasn't me this time. It was him." She pointed one silvery gray finger towards a stall on the end of where I'd been. I felt a wave of combined panic and embarrassment and annoyance at a boy in the girls' room.

I stomped over to the stall and pushed open the door, prepared to give whoever it was a piece of my mind when I gasped at what I saw.

"Malfoy?" I managed.

He looked up at me, his normally immaculate hair messy and his eyes red rimmed. "What do you want Granger?" he asked, sounding more exhausted than anything.

I stared at him in shock, trying to wrap my brain around this. His sweater was balled up in his lap and his sleeves were rolled up, showing lightly muscled forearms. Without thinking, I grabbed his sweater and put it on the floor, then knelt on it and studied him.

"What's wrong?" I asked softly.

"What do you care?" he asked tiredly. "I'm on the other side, remember?" To prove his point he held out his left arm and I flinched slightly when I saw the Dark Mark.

I studied it for a moment before reaching out hesitantly and touching it with my fingertips. His eyes closed when I rested my palm on his skin. It was warm and for some reason that surprised me. It was as if the last six years I'd only ever thought of Malfoy as a cold heartless being and yet here he was, warm, his blood pulsing beating beneath my fingers and tears streaking his face. I reached my other hand up and cupped his face in my palm, wiping a few of the tears away.

"We can help you, Draco," I said softly. "You know we can."

He looked pained. "I can't desert my parents."

"We can help them, too. At least get them into hiding or something."

He closed his eyes and leaned into my palm. I realized suddenly this past year had probably been incredibly difficult for him. He couldn't have any real friends here, not in Slytherin where everyone was really only looking out for himself. I wondered if he had any real friends anywhere. The Malfoys didn't really strike me as physically affectionate people either; something that probably explained Malfoy's past reputation.

I sighed and leaned forward and kissed his forehead, a maternal side to me taking over. He leaned forward too and clung to me like a frightened child, burying his face in my neck and crying. He fisted his hands into my hair and tightened his arms around me. I held him tightly and rubbed his back with one hand and stroked his hair with the other.

"What can I do for you?" I asked softly. "How can I help you? Let me help you, Draco. You're better than them, you know you are."

He shook his head against me. "I'm not, Granger. I'm really not." He pulled back and his face was troubled. "If I don't, they'll kill me or my parents or all of us."

"Don't what, Draco?"

He looked pained. "I can't say." His eyes pleaded with me to understand and I did. Against all reason, I did.

"So how can I help you?"

He studied me for a long moment before he leaned forward and kissed me. I pulled back, startled and his face fell.

"I'm sorry," he said softly.

"You surprised me," I admitted. "I'm a mudblood, remember?"

His face reddened slightly. "I'm sorry about that, I really am. I was…stupid."

I smiled. "I'm not going to argue that with you." I was sitting on my heels now, looking up at him, my hands resting lightly on his thighs.

I wanted to save him, I really did. I wanted to take him somewhere and smooth his hair and make him feel better but I couldn't. There was nowhere to take him. Then I remembered the Room of Requirement.

I stood up and handed him his sweater. "Come with me."

Twenty minutes later we were in a cozy room with a fireplace and a comfortable bed with a chair next to it. I led Malfoy over to the bed and pushed him onto it. I knelt down and pulled his shoes off, swinging his legs up and under the covers of the blanket.

I was surprised he let me do this, treat him like a child, but he seemed so broken and lost that I half wondered if he even realized what was going on. I pulled the blankets up around his chest, thinking about how I liked to be practically swaddled when I was sad, how the weight of Harry had felt so comforting on my chest that night in October.

I paused, remembering that night. I hesitantly kicked off my shoes and climbed onto the bed, wrapping my body around Malfoy, the blankets between us. He turned into me, his face finding the nook of my neck and shoulder and his arms pulling me close against him. He was crying silently this time. I rubbed his back and hummed softly, a lullaby my mother used to sing to me when I was sick. He closed his eyes and listened to me. I thought he was asleep when he spoke.

"Thank you Hermione. For all of it."

I smiled sadly and smoothed his hair. "I really do want to help you."

He sighed and pulled me tighter against him. "I don't think you can. I don't think anyone can. I'm in over my head."

"Let us try," I pleaded. I had no idea why I was pleading with Draco Malfoy of all people, my tormentor for 6 years. I just felt a pull to him that I couldn't explain. I smoothed his hair again and before I could think, I leaned forward and kissed him lightly. To my total shock, he kissed me back, his arms tightening again. He rolled slightly so I was under him and my mind started to race as I saw where this was going.

Harry and I had spent the night together a couple other times in the weeks following the first time but had quickly decided we didn't want our relationship to be like that. Since then, we'd both been celibate. I would be the first to admit that it was harder going without now that we knew what it was like and had quickly learned what the other liked. But, we were stronger than our hormones and we didn't actually feel romantic love for each other. Harry loved Ginny and I knew that. I felt a twinge of guilt knowing I had something with Harry he desperately wanted with her, but I also knew he felt that same twinge about not being Ron for me.

Malfoy…here was a different story. When I was younger and had complained about him to Mum, she'd smiled and said a lot of boys picked on girls they really liked. As I got older, she stuck by her theory. Over Christmas she'd asked about him and I'd admitted that he'd backed off. She pointed out that the most passionate relationships could begin between people who claimed to despise each other. I'd doubted her but suddenly I was in a position to find out. I was slightly mortified that I really wanted to.

I gently pushed him back. "I'm not going to sleep with you."

He nodded and pulled me back against him, kissing me again. He really was a good kisser, I had to admit that much. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him back, marveling in the back of my mind that in one school year I'd snogged my best friend and our mutual enemy. Did that make me a slut? I hoped not. Perhaps not sleeping with Draco would save me from that label.

His hand moved from my waist up higher on my body, resting on my rib cage. He lightly brushed the bottom of my breast with his thumb and I chuckled softly.

"Are you shy, Draco Malfoy?"

"A little," he said quietly. "You're Hermione Fucking Granger. If anyone saw what was in my head, they'd blast me to smithereens."

I rested my forehead against his. He was right. No one would be happy about this…whatever it was. I reached up and held his head in my hands and pulled back slightly.

"So we'll keep it between us then." I kissed him again and his thumb resumed its rubbing. I rolled my eyes and took a firm hold of his wrist and firmly planted his hand on my breast.

He grinned against my mouth and gently kneaded for a moment before quietly slipping his hand to the front of my shirt and undoing the buttons. I sucked in my breath when his fingers slipped into the cup of my bra and he palmed my breast. He groaned and pressed against me.

There were blankets between us but I was sure he was now aroused. I felt a little thrill in the pit of my stomach at the thought that I had put him in such a state.

I reached behind my back and awkwardly undid my bra as Malfoy pushed off my shirt. He pulled on the straps, kissing my shoulder and he removed my bra. I slipped my hand up into his hair and sighed with contentment as his mouth found my breast. I resisted the urge to press his face into my chest, though just barely.

He suddenly rolled away from me and disentangled himself from the blankets, pulling his shirt off while he was away. In that moment, quidditch became my favorite sport. I lightly traced my fingertips over the Dark Mark as he stretched out over me, his erection now pressing hard on my leg. I shifted and accidentally on purpose rubbed against it. He groaned and pressed against me a little harder.

"Are you sure we can't?" he panted against me as he started to kiss my neck.

I closed my eyes. What was my reasoning again? His hand moved from my breast and up under my skirt. Shit. Comforting him was turning into a whole other beast.

His fingers slid inside me and I groaned and arched against him. He cradled me with one arm and "attended" to me with the other hand. I instinctively threw my leg over his, pulling his body closer to mine, immensely grateful he was still wearing pants. I could feel the need building up in my stomach and wanted to kick him when he pulled his hand away from me. I looked up at him frustrated.

"Why?" I gasped out.

"I want you," he groaned, kissing down my neck, between my breasts and down my stomach. I sucked in my breath as his head disappeared under my skirt.

"Oh shit," I grunted. How was this comforting to him? I would think he'd want it the other way around, actually. I automatically pressed his face against me as I pressed against him. His tongue was probably the most amazing thing I'd ever felt. When he added his fingers, it didn't take me long to finish.

He stretched out against me again, my leg once again hitched over his hip as he ground against my body. I tightened my leg and pulled him harder to me. He groaned and rocked harder and I responded. My skirt was bunched up between us, a thin barrier between our stomachs as we moved together. My limited experience was coming in handy.

The only sounds in the room for a while were our groans and panting as Draco continued to grind against me. I felt like I was going to lose my mind if we didn't either make this right or stop all together. I was almost ready to push him away when he shuddered and groaned loudly before resting lightly on me.

I wrapped my arms around him as he wrapped his around me and kissed his forehead. He rested his head on my chest and sighed softly.

"Thank you, Hermione," he said softly. He lifted his head and looked at me. Some of the haunted scared look was gone from his face.

I smoothed his hair. "I still want you to let us help you. Dumbledore has ways."

He sighed and rolled away from me, running his fingers through his hair and undoing any smoothing I'd managed to do. "Why would Dumbledore help me?" he asked tiredly. "He's the one."

"He's the one what?" I asked gently, sitting up and reaching for my clothes.

He looked over at me with that haunted look again. "He's the one, Hermione. I have to prove myself and Dumbledore's the one."

I felt like ice water had just been dumped over my head as I realized what he was saying. I stared at him in shock. "When? How?"

He shook his head miserably. "I don't know. I've tried, but…I just don't want to. I don't think I can. And when I fail, he'll kill me."

I reached for him and pulled him against me. He curled up with his head in my lap and started to cry again. I lightly stroked his hair, my mind racing.

"Come on," I said after his crying had subsided. "I'm taking you to Dumbledore. In spite of it all, he'll know what to do."

He sighed and sat up. I handed him his shirt and stood up to straighten my clothes and pull my shoes back on. He wordlessly pulled his back on, too. I started towards the door, Draco close behind me, when I stopped and turned. He looked at me as though sure I'd changed my mind. I held out my hand.

"Give me your wand, Draco. Then you won't be tempted."

He sighed and handed over his wand. I led him out of the room and we made sure the room was gone, taking with it the evidence of what almost was, as we left. Malfoy followed me, lagging behind a few paces. At the corner, I turned to wait for him and caught a glimpse of a black cloak going through a door, or at least I thought I did. We were all seeing secret plots around every corner. I peered down the hall but couldn't see anything.

"What?"

"I thought I saw something."

"Want me to go check?"

I chewed on my lower lip. "It was probably just my eyes playing tricks on me," I admitted.

He nodded but seemed distracted. His right hand absentmindedly went to his left forearm. I reached over and took his left hand in mine.

"Everything will be fine, Draco," I said confidently. "Dumbledore will know what to do."

Tali: Yes, I know she's a bit slutty in this story. Yes, I know it ends on a bit of a cliff hanger. I'm attempting to continue, but just wanted to get this out there and get some feedback on it.


	2. Chapter 2

Dumbledore regarded us gravely as we sat in the chairs in front of his desk. Malfoy shifted uncomfortably in his chair and glanced over at me. Admitting you were ordered to kill someone was not something you did every day, especially not to that person's face when that person was Dumbledore.

"You wish to ask for help then, Mr. Malfoy?"

Malfoy nodded, looking like a nervous child. I resisted the urge to reach over and squeeze his hand. I still wasn't fully myself after my last attempt at comforting him.

"And your parents?"

"I won't leave them behind," he said quietly. "They're all the family I've got."

Dumbledore nodded again and sat back in his chair thoughtfully. "Then we've a great deal to do. We'll need to send them a message that you've been injured in a most unfortunate way in order to get them here. Then we shall take you all someplace safe."

"Where?"

"Far out of reach."

That seemed to be enough for Malfoy.

I shivered as I stood on the edge of the cliff and looked out over the grey sea below me. Wales was beautiful but so cold.

"Hermione?"

I turned and saw Malfoy crossing towards me hesitantly. Lucius, Narcissa and Dumbledore were standing a ways away, talking quietly. Malfoy took my hand and pulled me into a hug. "Thank you," he whispered against my hair.

I slipped my arms around him and hugged him back. "You're welcome. Don't make me regret this."

He nodded and leaned back, tipping my head up with a finger under my chin. He leaned down and kissed me lightly. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him back, deepening the kiss. I had no idea why I was kissing Draco Malfoy on a windy hilltop in Wales right before a storm blew in but I couldn't find it in me to care. It felt nice to be kissing him again.

"Miss Granger?"

We pulled apart quickly and I turned, flushing, as Dumbledore came towards me then, a hint of a smile on his face.

"Yes Headmaster?"

"Are you ready?"

I nodded. I squeezed Malfoy's hand one last time before stepping away towards Dumbledore. He held out his hand and I took it. I grimaced as we Apparated away from the cliffs and back to Hogsmeade. I braced myself against the wall and swallowed hard. We quietly trudged up the path back to the school, each lost in our own thoughts as we walked.

"You'd best be off to bed, Miss Granger. I believe the others will be looking for you. Only tell them what you must."

I nodded and started for the Gryffindor tower queasily. Draco and his family were now safely secreted away in a small cottage on the edge of the Irish Sea. I had been amazed with Lucius and Narcissa's immediate acceptance of Dumbledore's plan and of me as their Secret Keeper.

I climbed exhausted through the portrait hole. It was close to 2 in the morning and I was exhausted. It had taken days of planning to put everything into place and I'd been an integral part in it. Adding that to my school work and prefect duties made for sleepless nights.

"Mione? Where've you been?"

I looked up and saw Harry's worried face peering out at me from one of the armchairs by the fire.

I sighed and crossed the room, curling up in the other chair. "Wales."

"Wales."

I nodded.

"Why the bloody hell were you in Wales?"

"Sightseeing?"

He gave me a look and I yawned. "Can I tell you tomorrow? I'm completely knackered."

He frowned. "But you will tell me?"

I nodded and stood up. I started towards the stairs and stopped, turning to him. "Can I stay with you tonight?" I asked softly. "I don't much feel like being alone."

He frowned. "Can't you just crawl in bed with Ginny?"

I smiled. "She kicks. Sorry to ruin your fantasies of her, but you'll find out soon enough."

His ears turned pink. "How hard?"

I snickered. "I usually wind up curled up on the pillow or sleeping on the floor."

He grinned and motioned for me to follow him. I was still shivering when we got up to the boys dormitory. Harry motioned me over to the bed and crawled in quickly behind me, whispering the spell for the curtains, silencing and candle. I pulled off my shoes and socks and carefully dropped them over the edge so they wouldn't be seen before I stretched out on the bed, pulling the covers up over me. Harry stepped out of the curtains for a moment and returned in his pajamas. I grinned as he crawled in next to me and pulled me against his chest.

He kissed the top of my head and put out the candle, plunging us both into blackness. A few moments later, I was fast asleep.

Harry gently shook me awake what felt like only moments later. I moaned softly and tightened my grip on him.

"Wake up," he said softly. "Everyone else will be getting up soon and we can't have them finding you here again."

I sighed and sat up. He was right. It had been difficult enough to explain October. I leaned over and kissed Harry full on the mouth.

"Ask Ginny out already. You know you'd much prefer to be sneaking her in and out of here."

He grinned. "I will. Today, after the quidditch match."

I nodded and smiled. I grabbed my shoes and socks and tiptoed out of the boys' dorm and into my own. Everyone was still fast asleep so I quickly changed into my pajamas and crawled into my own bed. It wasn't nearly as comfortable to sleep by myself as it was sleeping with Harry.

Ginny bounced on my bed excitedly a little later. I sat up and frowned at her. "What?" I muttered.

"Last quidditch match today," she beamed at me. "We're sure to win."

I nodded and yawned. I'd definitely developed an interest in quidditch over the past year. Ginny had no real idea why but didn't seem to care. She was just relieved that I didn't grumble about being dragged along to the games and practices anymore.

I climbed out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom, bathing quickly before dressing and pulling on some clean clothes and following Ginny downstairs. Ron was sitting in the same armchair I'd been in the night before looking glum while Harry sat in the other looking quite pleased with himself. I grinned and headed over, leaning over the back of the chair Harry was in.

"Have a good night's sleep?" I asked conversationally.

Harry grinned up at me. "I did, actually. You?"

"Yep." I grinned down at Ron. "You?"

He looked up at me startled. "Oh, you're talking to me now?"

I shrugged. "There's more to life than boyfriends and girlfriends and stupidity. I'm over it Ron. I miss you."

He sat up slowly and stared at me. "You're over what?"

"You and Lavender and all the probably shagging you did. I just want to be your friend again."

His mouth dropped open and I grinned. "You did shag her didn't you?"

His face went bright red, confirming my suspicions. I patted his head and started towards the portrait hole. "Come on, don't want to miss breakfast."

***

Harry stared at me for a long moment after I finished explaining about the Malfoys. I obviously left out the majority of what happened in the Room of Requirement, I didn't feel comfortable sharing that even with Harry, but I told him most everything else.

He sat back and shook his head. "Malfoy was going to kill Dumbledore?"

"He was going to try," I said quietly. "I don't think he could have actually done it."

Harry let out a low whistle. "I suppose that explains some things."

I nodded and poked at my breakfast. Ginny was off getting painted for the game and Ron had finished and was getting a head start on warming up for the match.

"But they're safe now?"

I nodded. He shook his head in amazement. "I never would have thought the Malfoys would switch."

"No one did," I admitted. "That's why I'm the Secret Keeper. No one but Dumbledore trusts them. Besides me," I added lamely.

"So why isn't Dumbledore the Secret Keeper?" asked Harry puzzled. "Wouldn't that make more sense?"

I shrugged. "Maybe? I just know that he told me I should be it since I'm the one who convinced Malfoy to go for help."

"And just how did you do that exactly?"

I flushed and looked down at my plate. "I offered it," I mumbled.

Harry kicked me lightly under the table and I looked up at him guiltily. His jaw dropped.

"You shagged him, didn't you," he whispered, leaning across the table incredulously.

My face burned. "I did not," I hissed. "We kissed a bit, but that's it."

Harry narrowed his eyes at me. "You kissed Draco Malfoy?"

I poked at the food on my plate again. "Yes."

He sighed. "You know, I was available. Self-pleasure isn't the same after you've had the real thing. Plus now that Ron and Lavender are broken up you could probably have jumped him."

I snorted my pumpkin juice, spraying him in the face at that comment. He gave me a bemused smile as he wiped his face.

"Oh, just ask Ginny out already," I laughed.

He grinned and wiped his face with his napkin.

***

In the end, Voldemort had a back up. Blaise Zabini let the Death Eaters in through the Vanishing Cabinet that Malfoy had spent all year fixing. They stormed the school, destroying things left and right before there was a final confrontation on the Astronomy Tower. Harry and Dumbledore had just returned and when Blaise couldn't do it, Snape stepped up and sent Dumbledore tumbling over the edge.


	3. Chapter 3

I climbed up the hill, shivering again. I'd thought Wales was cold last May waiting for a storm, this May in a storm was much worse. My teeth were chattering and I was soaking wet by the time I got to the door of the small cottage. I was relieved to see smoke curling out of the chimney and I happily knocked on the door.

Lucius swung it open and stared at me blankly for a moment before his eyes lit up with recognition.

"Miss Granger," he said, stepping aside and motioning me in.

I nodded and squeezed past him into the cottage.

He was wearing Muggle clothes, which was beyond bizarre. He was dressed in khaki pants and a blue button up that was starched and ironed perfectly. His long blond hair was pulled back into a ponytail and everything about him was flawless.

"Miss Granger, welcome."

I turned at the sound of Narcissa's warm voice. She was gliding out of the kitchen, looking like the perfect 1950's housewife. She pulled me into a hug which was strange, too. I felt like I'd stepped into another world the way the two of them were treating me. I stepped back awkwardly.

"How are you?" I asked.

"We're fine. How is everything out there?" Lucius looked anxious.

"He's gone," I said tiredly. "Harry defeated him. We lost a lot but so did they."

He nodded. I knew he probably would appreciate names but I was too tired for that. I sank into a chair in front of the fireplace, not really caring if I ruined the upholstery or not.

"I've come to take you home," I said finally. "Though I'm not sure you've much to go back to. Voldemort used the Manor as a base of operations."

The two exchanged glances. "We can make repairs," said Lucius quietly. "It's our ancestral home."

I nodded. "Would you like to go now or later?"

"Later. You're exhausted and need to rest. Draco can make up the couch and you can take his room."

I nodded numbly.

"Come and eat," Narcissa said gently. "You must be starved."

I shook my head. "I'd appreciate just sleeping for now," I said quietly. "I don't have much of an appetite these days."

She nodded kindly and reached out to hesitantly touch my shoulder. I followed her up the stairs to the small corner room that was Malfoy's. It was sparsely furnished with a bed, dresser, and wardrobe. I shrugged out of my sodden clothes almost before Narcissa was gone and crawled into the bed naked. I supposed in any other situation I would be mortified to be sleeping naked in someone else's bed but I couldn't find it in me to care.

I woke up in the middle of the night to a creaky floorboard. I snatched my wand up and sat up, pointing it at the intruder.

"It's me," said a familiar voice. "I'm sorry, I just came to get a change of clothes. I didn't think I'd wake you."

I lowered my wand and pulled my knees up to my chest and rested my forehead on them.

"I'm sorry," I said in a low voice. "I've been constantly on my guard for a year now. It's not something you just switch off."

I heard Malfoy cross the room and sit on the bed beside me. I tensed until I felt him start to massage my back gently with his hands. I turned and curled into his lap, crying. He held me tightly.

"What happened?"

"Everything went to shit," I said. "We won, but it had to go to shit first. I'm afraid it won't get better."

"It will," he stroked my hair.

We sat that way for a while until I sat back and pushed my hair out of my face. "I should probably put something on if I'm going to sit on your lap."

He chuckled softly. "It doesn't bother me."

I elbowed him lightly and reached for my shirt and knickers on the floor. They were still damp but it was better than being on Malfoy's lap completely naked.

"Should I leave?" he grinned.

I shrugged. "You don't have to, I'm used to sleeping with a guy now."

"Now?"

I chuckled softly. "I spent some time with Harry in a tent."

He raised an eyebrow at me. "A tent?"

I nodded. "It was fine. We're comfortable with each other."

"How comfortable?" his voice sounded curious.

I grinned. "Comfortable enough, that's all you need to know."

"I need a drink."

I laughed softly. "Bring me back one?"

He nodded and disappeared into the darkness. I pulled on the clothes quickly and flipped on the light, squinting against the brightness. My eyes quickly adjusted and I smiled when Malfoy returned a few minutes later with a bottle of firewhiskey and two tumblers in hand.

He was wearing jeans and a black t-shirt that perfectly molded to his chest. I raised my eyebrows at him.

"I see you've taken to Muggle clothes pretty well."

He chuckled and handed me a tumbler, tipping the bottle to fill it partway. "Adapt to survive."

I nodded and downed the alcohol. It burned a little but I held it up for more. "Good job."

He tipped the bottle again, refilling my glass and filling his. He settled on the floor, his back against the bed. I quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Why on the floor?"

"Do you want me on the bed with you? I figured you'd have an aversion to me sharing a bed with you after what happened last year."

"What do you mean?"

He stared down at the amber liquid in his glass. "I practically attacked you."

"I don't remember it that way. I seem to remember enjoying it quite a bit actually."

He looked up with surprise. "You weren't faking?"

I snorted. "Why would I fake with you?"

He shrugged and pulled himself up onto the bed beside me then. I rested my head on his shoulder and held out my once again empty glass.

"Can you hold your liquor, Granger?"

I chuckled as I took a drink. "We'll find out. I'm looking forward to not thinking about anything for a while."

He nodded and sipped his own drink. "So do they all hate us?"

"They don't understand your motives."

He was quiet. "So we'll likely stand trial."

I shrugged. "I don't know. Please let's not talk about anything serious. Tell me something amusing."

He chuckled softly. "I'm apparently the bloke every girl wants to shag around here. I've actually found knickers in my jacket after going out to the pubs or the shops. I've no idea how they got there, either, and no clue who they belong to."

I snorted, coughing. "What do you do with them?"

"I chuck them in the bin of course," he sounded mildly offended I'd think he did anything else with them.

I grinned and held out my glass unsteadily again. "Too bad. My knickers are damp and I'd appreciate a new pair."

Now it was Malfoy's turn to cough. "You might give a bloke a chance to brace himself before you make comments like that," he managed.

I grinned and passed him my empty glass. I was feeling warm and loose and completely relaxed and Malfoy was looking damn appealing. I subconsciously licked my lips before leaning forward and kissing him.

He stiffened with surprise before clumsily setting the empty glasses on the bed and wrapping his arms around my waist. I moved so I was astride him and kissed him again. He pulled me against him and sighed against me.

"Granger, I'm not sure we should."

I shook my head. "We definitely shouldn't." I slid my hands up under his shirt and lightly raked my nails down his chest. He groaned softly and pulled me against him, capturing my mouth with his.

"What can I do for you," he murmured, kissing along my jaw and to my neck.

I twisted my fingers in his hair and closed my eyes. "Just keep doing what you're doing," I sighed. "All I've felt is scared and cold and anxious for ages. I just want to feel either good or nothing at all."

He pulled my shirt back off then and kissed my bare chest. "I completely understand."

He wrapped his arms around my waist and I started to rock against him. He grunted and pulled me tighter.

"How good do you want to feel," he panted softly.

"Better than last time."

He nodded and sat back from me, pulling off his shirt, too. I loved the feeling of his skin on mine. His hands ran up my back and tangled themselves in my hair and I sighed, rocking harder.

"Wait," he gasped softly. He gently pushed me back from him, lifting me and putting me on the bed beside him.

I watched with confusion as he stood up and took the glasses and bottle off the bed and put them on the dresser, shut the door, and flipped off the light. I was momentarily blinded but could hear him crossing the room and felt the bed sag as he sat down next to me.

"I think it best we just…sleep," he said quietly.

I ran my fingers through my hair, pulling my knees up to my chest.

"You're right," I sighed. I retrieved my shirt and pulled it over my head again. I shouldn't have kissed him in the first place. I was in a sort of relationship with Ron now. And now I'd have to confess all this to him.

I stretched out on the small bed and Malfoy stretched out beside me, hesitantly at first. I rolled over and wrapped my arm around him, spooning him from behind. He tensed at first before slowly relaxing under my touch. We quickly drifted off to sleep.

The next morning it was still rainy and cold, the wind practically driving the wind horizontal to the ground. The Malfoys all bundled up after a quick breakfast of eggs and sausages. It tasted wonderful, but I was anxious to get going. I hadn't told Ron or Harry I'd be gone overnight and I knew they'd be looking for me.

"Are you ready?"

Narcissa and Lucius exchanged nervous glances as I grabbed my jacket off the hook by the door and turned. I shrugged into it and started back into the rain. The three of them followed me, Lucius producing a massive black umbrella for himself and Narcissa. Draco had one for the two of us and I smiled up at him gratefully.

We trudged up the hill to the portkey that had been put in place to return us all to the Manor. They gathered around me and I took a deep breath.

"On three."

We spun through the air and landed roughly on the Manor lawn. I pushed myself up and turned to the Malfoys.

"If you need anything, you can reach me by owl," I said quietly. "I'm sure the ministry will be interested in talking to you at some point. If you wish for me to accompany you, I will."

Lucius nodded. I could already see him slowly returning to the cold arrogance that he was a master of. Narcissa was returning to her stoic aloofness as well. I looked at Draco to see if he was returning to who he used to be, but he looked a little torn, as though not sure who he was anymore.

"Thank you," said Narcissa formally. "We appreciate all you've done for us Miss Granger. If we can repay you in any way, please let us know."

I nodded and watched as Lucius and Narcissa started up the walk to the house. Draco hung back, looking at me uncertainly.

"Are you angry with me about last night?" he asked softly.

I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. "No, you were right. I'm just tired, that's all."

He still looked worried. "Are you going to go back to hating me?"

I shook my head. "No. I'm just trying to figure out what I want."

He nodded. He reached forward then and pulled me against him, giving me a hug. "You'll figure it out. I just hope you'll let me be a friendly part of that. I can't tell you how much I appreciate everything."

I wrapped my arms around his waist and sighed against him. "You're welcome."

He kissed the top of my head awkwardly and I smiled and stepped back. I squeezed his hand, then let go and apparated back to Grimmauld place. I took a deep breath and walked up the steps.

I could hear low voices talking in the kitchen, so I made my way there. Harry and Ginny were sitting side by side, their hands intertwined. I rolled my eyes as I settled across from them.

"You've got a room upstairs, you know," I grinned.

Harry grinned back and Ginny laughed. "We thought we'd be sociable. Where were you last night?"

"I had an errand to run," I mumbled. "It was time to retrieve the Malfoys."

Ginny dropped her cup with a clatter. "You knew where they were this whole time?"

I nodded. "They came to me for help. Well, Draco did. Dumbledore and I helped them hide."

She stared at me in shock. "When the bloody hell did that happen?"

"Last year, shortly before the end of the year," I replied, taking Harry's cup and sipping the coffee. I grimaced. Neither of them could brew a proper cup, with or without magical assistance. I stood up and started to brew another pot.

"Where's Ron?"

"He's at Aunt Muriel's still," said Ginny quietly. "Mum's leaning on him a lot."

I nodded. "Do you think he'd like to see me?"

"He'd love to see you," said Harry emphatically. "He misses you like crazy."

I smiled to myself and nodded. I missed him, too. We'd been through so many ups and downs the past few years and yet we still felt that draw, that unmistakable tug towards one another. I turned towards them.

"I'll just take a quick shower and then head over. Are either of you going?"

"We both will," said Ginny, flushing slightly. "Mum doesn't know I spend the nights here yet, so I'll actually be going in a bit."

I grinned and nodded. "See you there, then."

She nodded and stood up, kissing Harry one last time before stepping over to the fireplace to Floo home. Harry studied me for a moment in silence.

"Did you snog him again?"

I groaned and sat at the table, dropping my head onto my folded arms. "What the fuck is wrong with me?" I moaned. "What is it about Draco sodding Malfoy that I just can't _not_ kiss him?"

Harry chuckled. "You're a highly sexual person now and he's an unattainable, I suppose."

I sighed and sat back in my seat. "Not _that_ unattainable."

He raised an eyebrow at me. "Did you do more than snog him last night?"

My face heated again. "No, but only because he stopped it from happening. We drank far more firewhiskey than we should have, probably." I stopped, not wanting to go further but Harry motioned for me to go on. I sighed.

"I crawled into his lap and we were both shirtless and I would have kept going but he stopped. Apparently, I can't hold my liquor."

Harry chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm surprised he resisted that. I never could."

I winked at him. "Quiet about that, you. Little ears could be listening."

"Like who?"

I shrugged and stood up, heading for the stairs and the rest of the house. "You never know. Someone might Floo in to another fireplace without our knowing."

He rolled his eyes. "So no more discussion of our mutual past. Got it."

I nodded and paused in the doorway. "Have you told Ginny?"

He looked guilty. "No."

"Will you?"

He ran his fingers through his hair agitatedly. "Should I?"

I chewed on my lip. "Well, maybe don't volunteer it, but if she asks, you should be honest."

He nodded and looked at me curiously. "Will you tell Ron?"

I sighed. "I have no idea if we'll even get to a point in our relationship where that sort of information would be warranted."

He nodded and tugged on a loose lock of my hair. We headed upstairs together, parting in the hallway as we went to our rooms.

Half an hour later, we were both clean and dressed and walking up the path to Aunt Muriel's. The whole place had a sense of grief over it. It was so heartbreaking that such a jovial family was suffering such a tragedy.

Everyone was quiet as we came in. It wasn't unexpected that we be there, we'd been there nearly every day since the day after it all happened. There was just no happiness at our arrival. The majority of the family was seated in the living room, looking as though they were primarily holding each other up. George was standing at the window, staring out blankly while Mr. and Mrs. Weasley held each other on the couch. Harry crossed the room to Ginny who was sitting on an armchair. I rolled my eyes to myself. They'd only been apart for half an hour but they acted as though they hadn't seen each other in days.

I scanned the room and saw that Ron wasn't there. I started up the stairs to get him, sure he was still in bed.

I paused outside the door to the room he and George were sharing while here, not sure if I should knock or just go in. I heard a quiet sob that decided it all for me.

I pushed the door open and hurried over to Ron, crawling into the bed beside him and wrapping my arms around his shoulders. He shook with silent weeping as I smoothed his hair and let him cry. There was nothing I could do to help him except to sit and hold him.

In the days since it all happened, we'd all heard the ridiculous statements at the funerals: "They died for their cause" or "They would have wanted to go out this way." The worst of it was "You'll see them again someday." All of it was bullshit. Did Remus and Tonks really want to leave an infant son behind? Did Fred really want to die so young? We still needed them all, whether in large ways, like Teddy needed his parents, or small like we all needed Fred and George to make us laugh.

Finally, Ron stopped crying and he turned over. He didn't look surprised to see me. He simply sat up and pulled me close to him in an awkward hug.

"I thought you were going to be here for supper last night," he said quietly as I stretched out beside him.

"Something came up."

"What?"

I sighed. He wasn't going to like this. "I was the Malfoy's Secret Keeper and it was time to retrieve them."

His body stiffened against mine. "Malfoy?" he practically spat the word into my face.

I nodded. "Yes."

His face was stony. "Are you friends with him now or something?"

"Or something." I stroked his hair again. "Let it be, Ron. It's not important."

He snorted and rolled away from me. "Not important. He's Draco sodding Malfoy!" he shouted at me. I stood up then and crossed the room to the door.

"I won't be yelled at Ron. I lost someone too and I know you're angry, but I won't allow you to take it out on me."

His face darkened. "Who the fuck did you lose? You didn't even like Fred."

I marched across the room and slapped him as hard as I could. My palm stung from the force of it.

"Have you seen my parents lately?" I asked hoarsely. "Have you for one second thought to ask about them?"

His face drained of color with the exception of the bright red hand print on his cheek. "I'm sorry, I forgot…"

I nodded and stepped back from him. "I thought as much. I was willing to over look it because I love you, but I won't let you yell at me and act as though my own grief is nothing compared to yours. If you remember, you were rather embarrassed by the twins for _years_."

He looked pained. I sighed.

"I'm sorry. I know he's your brother and in spite of everything, you did love him. Because of who he was, I loved him too. I just wish you'd see that."

He swallowed hard, looking away from me. "Is there any hope of there ever being an 'us'?" he asked softly.

I rubbed my face. I'd been wondering the same thing myself. "I don't know. We fight too much. Do we love each other to get past that?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know either. Maybe we're just destined to be friends who annoy the shit out of each other."

I grinned and pulled him into a hug. "I'd be alright with that."

He held me tightly against his chest and I sighed. I would always wonder what could have been with Ron, what our children might have been like. But I could see now that it wasn't meant to be. If anyone, I'd fit best with Harry, but that was never going to happen. Perhaps I'd end up a lonely spinster, bouncing Harry and Ginny's babies on my knee. I'd be alright with that.

I pulled back and kissed him affectionately. "I do love you."

He smiled sadly. "I love you, too."


	4. Chapter 4

A few weeks later, I was wandering through Diagon Alley when I spotted the unmistakable Malfoy coif a few steps ahead of me. It was Draco and I hung back, uncertainly. He had his back to me, so he hadn't seen me.

He was dressed the way he used to before the war: dark clothing and hair slicked back. I missed the Muggle clothes on him. These just didn't quite seem…right. Not anymore. He paused outside Quality Quidditch and looked in the window, joining the ranks of much younger boys drooling over the latest and greatest broom.

I cautiously made my over towards him, pushing through the crowds and sidling up to him.

"Looks like a fine broom," I commented.

Draco looked at me with surprise, then smiled. "Granger. I had no idea you had any interest in Quidditch."

I flushed slightly. "I have no interest in playing myself, but I quite like the players."

He quirked an eyebrow at me as he turned to walk up the street. I followed along and we walked side by side for a while in silence.

"How have things been?" I asked after a bit.

He sighed. "We've been barred from getting regular jobs, for the time being anyway, so we'll be living off the Malfoy wealth."

I nodded. "Will you be going back to school in the fall?"

He shrugged. "I'm not sure."

"Don't you want to complete your education?"

He chuckled softly. "My main competition was you, Granger. Who would I have to compete with?"

I grinned and hooked my arm in his companionably. "I'm going back."

He looked down at me with an inscrutable look. "Are you."

I nodded. "There's not much for me in the real world at the moment. I'll appreciate the opportunity to lose myself in books and parchment again."

He was quiet. "What about your family?"

I winced slightly. "They're essentially gone. I performed a memory charm on them so well, no one can undo it. They're safe and sound in Australia with no recollection of me."

He stopped and pulled me into a hug then. I rested my cheek against his chest and sighed softly. I felt like I hadn't been hugged, really hugged, in ages. I'd given hugs to all the Weasleys, but no one had hugged me. He stroked my loose hair for a bit before letting me go.

"So we'll go back to school together," he said decisively.

I grinned.

"Potter and Weasley aren't going?"

I snorted. "Hardly. Harry's already signed on as an Auror and Ron is helping George at the joke shop."

"What about the other one?"

"Fred? He died in the last battle."

"Oh." He looked uncomfortable. "I hadn't heard."

I shrugged. "I don't think everyone knows of every death. I doubt we ever will."

"Anyone else I should know of?"

I scratched my chin. "I'm not sure," I said honestly. "Crabbe died, Bellatrix, Snape. Lupin, Tonks…" I stopped and rubbed my face, fighting back tears. "So many others. I'm sorry, I'm not really ready to discuss them all."

He nodded. "Of course. I'll find out from some other source."

I sighed and sat down on a small bench. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." He settled beside me, his arm draped around my shoulders. I leaned my head against his chest and closed my eyes.

"I wish we could go back to being children," I said softly, "back to when everything was easy and exciting and there was so much to look forward to."

"Who says there's not still?"

I grinned but didn't open my eyes. "Like what?"

He was thoughtful as he started to stroke my hair again. "Well, for you, school. Taking your exams. Finding a job you love. Falling in love. Getting married. Children." He paused. "Do you want all that?"

I was quiet. "I'm not sure anymore. Before, it seemed foolish to want those things, love, marriage, and family, but now…"

"It's a possibility."

I nodded. I sighed and sat up then, yawning. "I'm going to go home now," I announced. "I just came to get out of the house for a bit. Thank you for being a wonderful distraction."

He smiled and stood up with me. "Where are you living anyway?"

"With Harry," I smiled.

He grinned down at me. "Is there something between you two the tabloids haven't picked up on?"

I groaned. "No, nothing. We're just very close friends. I didn't have anywhere to go and he had a large house all to himself. Neither of us wanted to be alone. It seemed a logical conclusion."

He nodded, but the grin didn't leave his face. "So you're telling me in all these years, you've never thought about more with him?"

My cheeks warmed. "If I did, that'd be my own business, and certainly not something I'd admit in public."

He laughed and pulled me against him in a one armed hug as we reached the exit of Diagon Alley into the Leaky Cauldron. "Would you meet me for dinner sometime?" he asked suddenly.

I looked up at him surprised. "Dinner? Like out in public?"

He shrugged. "It doesn't have to be here. We could go to a Muggle restaurant. I'm actually pretty good at pretending after a year."

I grinned and nodded. "I'd like that."

He leaned down and kissed my cheek affectionately. This was definitely a Draco Malfoy I wasn't used to, but then I was a Hermione I wasn't used to. I smiled back faintly and stepped through the arch and into the small back area, making my way through the crowded bar and out onto the other side, forging my way back into Muggle London.

I loved Muggle London. I could really get lost in the crowd and not worry about trying to avert my eyes or pretend to be someone I wasn't or silly disguises. Out here, no one knew or cared who I was. I relished that. I was spending more and more time here, away from the curious whispers and pointing, awed glances and even the occasional request for my autograph. Harry had it worse, of course, so he and Ginny rarely left Grimmauld Place or Aunt Muriel's. I'd suggested Muggle London to them, too, but Harry was hesitant. He'd been spotted there, too.

I walked all the way home, not feeling up to Apparating at the moment. I walked up the steps and let myself in. Again, there were voices in the kitchen. This time I Heard Ron in there with Harry and Ginny. My steps faltered but I headed in resolutely.

I rolled my eyes as I entered to a heated debate about something to do with Quidditch. I gave Harry and Ginny hugs before walking around the table and ruffling Ron's hair and sitting next to him.

"Quidditch again?" I teased.

Ginny grinned at me. "You liked it well enough your last year at Hogwarts," she pointed out.

I flushed slightly, remembering why exactly I started liking it. "True, but I prefer watching the sport over discussing it. It's so boring if you're simply dissecting it."

I was met with three horrified faces. I sighed and stood up. Not the right audience. "I'm going to take a shower and then a nap if this is the current discussion."

Ron caught my wrist. "We'll talk about something else, stay and talk."

I grinned and settled back next to him.

"So where'd you go today?" he asked conversationally.

"I wandered around Diagon Alley. Apparently there's a new type of broom out, the window in front of the shop was about three deep in drooling boys."

I immediately knew that was the wrong comment to make. The three of them knew exactly what I was talking about and began debating the qualities of the new broom over the Firebolt. I sighed, squeezed Ron's shoulder, and headed upstairs to my room. Whatever they needed to do to get past all the shit in our lives, I wouldn't begrudge them that.

I stripped down and stepped into my private bathroom, turning on the water as hot as it would go. I loved that Harry had had private bathrooms installed quickly. There'd been an incident where he climbed into the shower with me, thinking it was Ginny. The next day magical contractors were out and now every bedroom had its own bath.

I stepped into the stream of hot water and sighed, letting it relax my muscles. I wasn't sleeping well anymore, I hadn't really since leaving Hogwarts. I wondered if I'd ever be able to sleep soundly and not be worried about someone attacking me in the night.

I climbed out after I was sufficiently scalded and dried off, wrapping a towel around my hair and one around my body. I contemplated pulling on some clothes but felt too tired to bother. Plus, there was something deliciously wicked and sinful about sleeping naked. I didn't do it nearly often enough.

I draped the towels over the foot of the bed and crawled in, waving my wand to shut the curtains over the large windows, effectively blotting out the bright sunlight. I sighed contentedly and slipped my wand under my pillow before drifting off to sleep.

I woke up later when a warm hand touched my bare shoulder. I rolled over confused and smiled at Harry.

"Hey."

He raised an eyebrow. "Do you always sleep naked?"

"No." I yawned and sat up, pulling the sheets up around me. "What time is it?"

"Late. We were actually going to bed, I just thought I'd see if you wanted anything to eat first. We saved you some dinner."

I smiled and leaned forward, resting my chin on my knees. "No, I'm fine, but thanks for asking."

He nodded and stared towards the door for a moment. "So you and Ron?"

I sighed. "Are just friends, forever and always."

He nodded again. "And Malfoy?"

"What about him?" I asked, stiffening.

"He sent an owl for you about an hour after you came up here. I didn't read it, but it had the Malfoy seal on it."

"Did Ron or Ginny see it?"

He shook his head, resting back on the bed on his elbows. "No, I managed to tuck it in my pocket. In fact," he rolled to the side and pulled out a slightly crumpled heavy cream colored envelope and handed it over to me. I smiled and placed it on the bed beside me.

"You're not going to read it?"

I grinned. "I will, in private."

He frowned. "Do I get a hint?"

I laughed. "I ran into him this afternoon. We sat and talked and he asked me to join him for dinner some night. As friends," I added quickly.

Harry grinned. "I'll warrant not for long."

I shoved him lightly. "You should go now. Don't want Ginny coming up here after you and finding you in my bed while I'm naked."

He rolled his eyes but stood up. He leaned over me and kissed my forehead. "Whatever happens with you and Malfoy, just be careful, alright?" he looked at me anxiously. I grinned and caught his hand, kissing it lightly.

"I will."

He nodded and disappeared out the door, pulling it shut behind him. As soon as I heard the click of the latch, I tore into the envelope. My initials were on the front in an unfamiliar decidedly masculine hand. Inside, there was a message in that same hand and I smiled, realizing I liked Draco's handwriting.

_H,_

_If you'd really like to go to dinner with me and weren't just humoring me, meet me at the Leaky Cauldron Friday at 8, unless there's a better time for you. I look forward to it._

_D_

Simple and to the point. I rolled my eyes. I didn't even pretend to understand why I was so interested in being Malfoy's friend, other than the fact that I'd lost so much and was almost just ready to cling to anything real and alive and present. I crawled out of the bed, wrapping a sheet around myself in the off chance someone would come in, and crossed to the small desk I'd shoved up under the window and pulled out a fresh piece of parchment, a quill, and some ink.

_D,_

_Friday at 8 is perfect. Should I dress any particular way?_

_H_

I carefully tucked it into an envelope, wrote his initials on the front, and sealed it with the simple H seal I'd bought my first trip to Diagon Alley when I was 11. I pulled on a robe and headed downstairs to borrow the owl Harry'd let me purchase for him so we wouldn't have to go to an owl post every time we wanted to send something.

He quirked his head at me, a little annoyed I was asking him to deliver post at this hour. I offered him an owl treat and smoothed his feathers gently.

"You can hunt to your heart's desire after you deliver this," I promised.

That seemed to satisfy him. He nipped at my finger affectionately before soaring off into the night. He really was a beautiful owl. I leaned against the windowsill watching him disappear before pulling the windows closed, leaving a small gap for him when he returned. I grabbed a roll and some cold slices of ham for a makeshift sandwich before heading back upstairs to bed.

I remembered with a start that Harry's birthday was soon, just a couple of weeks away in fact. He was probably not interested in a big party or anything, but maybe we needed one anyway. I'd talk to Ginny in the morning.

I finished off my sandwich and hung my robe back up on the hook. I was definitely looking forward to sleeping again.

The next morning brought with it another letter from Draco. I smiled as I skimmed it. I didn't need to dress formally, he was taking me to a casual Muggle restaurant. I grinned and sent off a quick reply saying I'd see him tomorrow night.

Ginny was bustling around the kitchen trying to do something productive when I came downstairs. I raised an eyebrow at her as I sidled up beside her.

"What is that supposed to be?" I asked, picking up the lid to a pot and peering inside it.

She jumped and flushed. "Porridge."

"Why are you making porridge?" I poked at the gray lumpy mass with a spoon. The spoon stood straight up.

"It's the only thing I know how to make."

I looked at her. "I don't think you know how."

She sighed. "I'm a shit cook, I know, but I wanted to do something nice. For Harry."

I nodded and snickered. "You could make him eggs."

"I tried that." She gestured towards the bin where there was another lumpy grey mass.

I laughed and opened the refrigerator, pulling out the egg carton and a carton of cream. "Watch, I'll show you how to make breakfast."

She sank into a chair at the table. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet," I teased. "You get to clean everything up."

She grinned. "I can handle that."

I calmly started mixing up the eggs, pouring in the cream and some herbs we had from the garden. "Have you thought about what we might do for Harry's birthday?" I asked, dropping a pat of butter on the already hot skillet.

Ginny sighed and shook her head. "I can only think of possibly doing a family dinner, but I'm not sure how fun that would be. Everyone's so depressed."

I nodded. "We could do it here, you and I."

She blanched. "You could, I'd be your assistant if anything. Would you want to do something here?"

I shrugged and carefully stirred the eggs. "I don't see why not. It'd be just the family. There's no one else anymore, not really."

She nodded sadly. Sirius, Remus, Tonks…everyone we would have invited was gone. "We could invite Neville and the like."

I shook my head. "I think the first one should be just us."

She nodded and pulled out a package of sausages in the refrigerator. I piled the eggs into the center of the skillet and situated the sausages around the sides.

"So dinner, just the family, here?" she said finally.

I nodded. "I think that'd be fine, don't you? Your mum and everyone wouldn't have to do anything unless they wanted to."

She nodded again. "Let's do that then. We can do it the Muggle way, with the stove and everything."

I laughed and nodded. "Sure. But you will be assisting me."

"Assisting how?" asked Harry, coming in then. He pulled Ginny to him for a quick kiss before leaning over the skillet. "This looks brilliant."

I motioned for them both to sit and served up the food, giving Harry a larger portion and then dividing the remainder between Ginny and myself.

"We're going to cook you a fantastic birthday dinner," Ginny announced smugly. "Or, Hermione is. I'm going to be her assistant. I'm afraid I'm a shit cook."

"That's fine, I'll eat anything."

I grinned and dug in. "Any requests for your birthday?"

"Anything is fine. You know you don't have to cook for me."

"We do." I smiled at him. "We want to."


	5. Chapter 5

I nervously smoothed my skirt as I carefully made my way across the grass. Draco had asked me to meet him in the park near the Ministry. There was a secluded Apparating point there that I was familiar with. He wasn't there when I arrived, so I made my way towards a bench to sit and watch the last of the sunset over the buildings.

I had just settled into my seat when I heard footsteps approaching me. It took everything in me not to whip out my wand again as I turned. I relaxed when I saw it was Draco.

He grinned at me and bent over, kissing me lightly as he helped me up. "You look fantastic," he said approvingly.

I flushed and smoothed the skirt again. He was dressed in simple jeans and an un-tucked button-up with the sleeves rolled down. Hiding the Mark, I was sure. I felt like I'd managed to dress just right in the long white skirt and the pink shirt.

"Did you hide your Mark while a Muggle?" I asked curiously as he started to lead me across the park.

"Yes, but mostly by wearing long sleeves," he admitted. "It's cool enough in Wales no one ever questioned Father or me."

I nodded thoughtfully. "And now you have to keep it hidden all the time."

He shrugged. "It's a result of my own choices. I can't really change them now."

I hooked my arm in his and smiled. "No, just live with them the best you can, like we all do."

He squeezed my hand and paused in front of a small café with tables on the sidewalk. "Is this alright?"

"Looks perfect."

He pulled a chair out for me and helped me into it. I flushed slightly. I was used to being "one of the boys" with Harry and Ron, and even Ginny at times, so I wasn't used to this kind of treatment.

"Thanks," I mumbled as he seated himself across from me.

He grinned and handed me a menu to look over.

Dinner was much nicer than I thought it would be. We talked easily and everything we ate was wonderful. I made a mental note to bring the others here for lunch sometime. When we finished, Draco pulled some bills out of his pocket and dropped them on the table. I quickly scanned them and smiled to see he'd paid more than enough. He pulled my chair out for me and offered me his arm.

"I know it's late, but if you're up for a walk, I'd be happy to escort you."

I chuckled. "Not ready to go home yet?"

"No." He left it at that and I did, too. I wasn't really ready to go home, either. About now was when Harry and Ginny retreated to their room. They didn't always remember the muffling charm, to my annoyance.

"So do you have anything planned for the rest of the summer?" asked Draco casually.

I shook my head. "Resting, avoiding, sleeping."

He laughed. "Same here. It's interesting to resurface after a year. All my so called friends are either dead, imprisoned, in hiding, or skeptical. No one else believes us. Except you."

I grinned. "I may be just a bit mad, so don't take that for being totally valid."

He laughed again and slipped his arm around my waist comfortably. He steered me over to another bench set back among some trees and looking over a large pond and we settled on it. I crowded close to him, shivering in the slight evening breeze. Even in mid-July it could still be a little cool for my tastes. He tightened his arm around me and started to lightly rub my bare arm with his thumb. I felt a jolt of recognition at the familiar touch from Harry nearly two years earlier.

"Hermione?"

I looked up at him guiltily. "Sorry. I just remembered something from ages ago."

"Anything important?"

How to answer that question? "Um…only to me."

He raised an eyebrow and I smiled up at him innocently. He rolled his eyes and sat back from me with a sigh, running his free hand through his hair.

"Has anyone told you that you're damn kissable?"

I laughed. "No, actually."

"Well, you are. Damn near impossible to resist, too."

"Oh, you seem to manage quite well, actually."

He gave me a strange look. "You mean back in Wales."

I nodded. He was silent for a bit. "You have no idea how difficult that was for me."

I hid a smile as I stretched my legs out in front of me. "Then why did you push me away?"

"Because I felt like I was taking advantage of you being drunk," he said simply. "I may not be the epitome of perfect masculinity, but I like to think I'm not an opportunist."

I laughed and lightly rested my hand on his knee, resting my head on his shoulder. "I suppose I should thank you, then, though I wouldn't have been terribly upset if you'd gone ahead."

"Why not?"

I shrugged. "A full year of celibacy is difficult, especially when you're astride a man who seems interested in all ways."

"Only a full year?" he sounded shocked. "At school? Who? When?"

I laughed. "I think those are my own secrets, thank you."

"You don't mean me, do you?" he looked concerned. I shook my head.

"No, not you. Someone was before you."

He looked immensely relieved. "Will you tell me someday?"

I laughed again and poked him in the side. "Would you tell me every girl you'd slept with or been with in that kind of way?"

He made a face. "If you asked I would. I hope you won't ask though."

I grinned and twisted on the bench so my back was against his side, his arm draped across my stomach. He turned slightly so his chest was supporting my back.

"How are your parents?"

He sighed. "Fine. Father's relieved to just not be in Azkaban. Mother misses her friends and the status. They seem to be retreating into themselves these days. I rarely see them anymore."

I nodded. While he'd been talking, I'd pushed his sleeve up and was running my fingertips up and down the bare skin lightly. "Do they at least see each other?"

He nodded and I could feel him toying with my hair. "Yes. They take all their meals together in their sitting room. They share a bedroom and the second bedroom is their study/library. They rarely leave their quarters."

I nodded. "And you?"

"What about me?"

"When you get married, will you take your bride to the Manor?"

"Who would marry me?"

I looked up at him with surprise. "Surely you don't really think that?"

He snorted. "We're disgraced for one, ex-Death eaters for another. I'm not exactly considered marriageable material anymore."

I was silent at that. He had a point. I swung my legs around so I was facing him now.

"Any woman worth her salt will get past all that rubbish," I said quietly. "You're a wonderful man. You stood up against Voldemort for fuck's sake."

He rolled his eyes but I caught his face in my hands. "You did, Draco. You stood up to him and rescued your family. That's amazing. If you love your wife and children half that much, they'll be very lucky indeed."

He studied me for a moment, not breathing. Then slowly, he leaned forward and kissed me. His arms slipped around my waist and he pulled me onto his lap awkwardly. I moved my hands to his hair and returned the kiss.

It was hot and full of longing and need and just…desperation. We both were desperate to feel happiness and love other than familial or friendly. It may not be the best place to look for it, but we were currently all we had.

Draco lightly pulled my legs apart, pulling me astride him again like in Wales. I grinned against his mouth and pulled back.

"Are you going to get me all worked up and then push me away again," I whispered in his ear as I kissed his jaw.

"Fuck no," he muttered. "I plan on seeing this all the way through if you will."

I nodded and reached between us, undoing the buttons on his jeans. His hands skimmed up my legs under my skirt and paused when he reached my hips.

"No knickers?"

I flushed. "Laundry day."

He grinned. "Oh, this is brilliant."

I laughed as he pulled me closer to him, kissing me again. I moved against him, feeling him against me. "Should we go somewhere more private," I panted against his mouth.

"No."

I couldn't argue with that logic. He pulled me forward and down and I groaned softly as he slid inside of me. I immediately started moving against him and he groaned back, pressing his face against my shoulder and digging his fingers into my skin.

"Faster," he managed.

I nodded and did my best to speed up. My legs were trembling with the exertion but Hermione Granger was not a quitter. His hands tightened and he pulled and lifted me hard and fast. I sucked in my breath when his thumb slipped to the front of me and started to rub against me.

"Oh fuck," I hissed, digging my nails into his shoulders.

He groaned again and then shuddered against me. I was close behind him before I collapsed against him, breathing heavily.

"Shit, we should not have just had sex in a public park," I panted.

He chuckled and removed his hands, fluffing my skirt some so we were both covered. He smoothed my hair lightly. "But it was damn hot."

I nodded and kissed him lightly. "So now what?"

"I suppose now it's time we go home," he said with a small smile. "It's after midnight."

I nodded and carefully extracted myself from him, standing in front of him to afford him some privacy while he adjusted his clothing. I'm not sure why; no one else was in the park. When he was satisfied, he stood up and slipped his arm around my waist again.

"I actually mean what about us," I said finally.

He nodded. "I know. I don't have an answer for that."

I was quiet as we made our way to the Apparating point. "Are we friends, friends with benefits, or something more?"

"Which makes me less of a cad?"

I laughed. "Professing your undying love for me would do that, but I hardly think we're to that point in our relationship. I suppose we've crossed the territory into friends with benefits."

He quirked an eyebrow at me. "So you aren't opposed to this happening again?"

I flushed. "No, though I hope in the future there's a little more discretion."

He chuckled softly. "You are surprising, Hermione Granger."

"As are you, Draco Malfoy."

We stopped and turned to face each other. He leaned down and pulled me against him, kissing me soundly. I sighed softly and pressed myself back against him. He was so firm and warm and solid. It felt wonderful.

I pulled back and smiled at him, stepping forward and scanning to make sure I wouldn't be seen before Apparating home.

The house was dark when I came in. I slipped out of my shoes and carefully made my way upstairs, tiptoeing past Harry's room. I froze when a light was illuminated.

"Hermione?"

My shoulders slumped. "Yes?"

Harry appeared in the doorway then, wearing just a pair of pajama pants, his hair mussed. "Are you only just getting home?"

I flushed. "Yes."

He studied me for a long moment and I shifted embarrassed, as though he could see Draco all over me. "Did you have fun?"

My face got impossibly hotter.

"Yes," I mumbled.

He laughed and leaned against the doorframe. "So what happened?"

"Shouldn't you be getting back to Ginny?" I asked annoyed.

He grinned. "Nope. She's staying home tonight. Her mum started to get suspicious. She left a couple hours ago."

I scowled at him. "I'm going to bed."

"Not before you tell me what happened."

"Why?"

"Because. My birthday's coming up and you can't deny me anything in my birthday month."

"Says who?" I demanded as I started down the hall towards my room. I could hear Harry's bare feet padding along the hall behind me.

"Says I. I'm the Boy Who Lived and Defeated Voldemort. Some people take whatever I say as pure gold."

"That's because they don't have to live with you."

He grinned and settled on my bed as I pulled out some pajamas and ducked into my bathroom. I left the door cracked so we could talk.

"You know you love me."

"I do," I admitted. "But don't I get to keep some things to myself?"

"Not with me."

I stuck my head around the door and made a face at him. He grinned back at me and settled against my pillows.

"So?"

I sighed and entered the room, flipping the light off behind me. I crossed the room and crawled into the bed on my side. "We had dinner and then we walked in the park. It was lovely."

"And?"

"And I'll take you to the café sometime. I think you'll enjoy it."

"And?"

I gave him a look and he smiled innocently. I huffed and sat back. "Oh, sod it. I snogged him again."

"I knew it," he said triumphantly, sitting back against my pillows happily. "So do you think you and Malfoy might potentially be more someday?"

I picked at the blanket on the bed. "How do you mean?"

"Do you think you'd shag him?"

I looked up, stunned at his bluntness. He raised his eyebrows at me and I quickly averted my eyes.

"I sort of already did."

His jaw dropped. "When?"

I sighed and pulled a pillow over my face. "Tonight in the park."

I thought he was going to fall out of the bed from the shock of my confession. "In a public park? Like in some trees or something?"

I shook my head. "On a bench."

His eyes were bugging. "Shit, and I thought we were daring in the dormitories."

I laughed then and rubbed my face. "I just needed to feel."

He shook his head in amazement. "With Draco Malfoy?"

I shrugged. "Sometimes my body doesn't listen to my mind. If so, I doubt you and I would ever have happened."

"True. Do you regret it?"

"I think the part I'll regret the most is the not sleeping after," I admitted softly. "I always loved sleeping, really _sleeping_ with you after. I always felt so safe with your arms around me."

Harry grinned. "You know we've got alarms on all the entrances into the house. I could sleep here with you tonight if you'd like."

I smiled. "You'd do that?"

"Of course. I miss sleeping with you, too. Ginny does kick."

I grinned and rolled under the blankets. Harry followed suit and extinguished the lights in the room. He shifted down in the bed and I snuggled up against him, sighing softly as his arms wrapped around me.

"I prefer sleeping with you in a bed to sleeping with you on the floor of that tent," he said after a while.

I laughed. "Oh god yes. I hated that damn tent."

"See, and I was going to offer it to you and Malfoy for your next date."

I elbowed him lightly and he tickled me. I laughed and pushed him away, propping myself up on one elbow. "Remember last time you tried that?"

He chuckled softly and pulled me back down against his chest. "I'll behave."

I nodded and kissed his chest lightly.

"G'night Harry."

"'night Hermione."


	6. Chapter 6

I felt like I was in a bit of a panic, to be honest. The Weasleys were going to be descending upon us en masse any minute now and nothing was ready. Ginny'd been helpful for all of two seconds before popping upstairs to "help" Harry get dressed. Moments later the damn noises had started. I stalked towards the stairs grumpily.

"Knock it off," I shouted up the stairs. "Your family will be here any second and your mum would blow a fuse if she saw you!"

There was a muffled thump and I scowled as I stomped back into the kitchen. I waved my wand and the table was set. Ginny had been going on for days about the settings she was going to do. She'd be doing good to get her knickers back on and her hair smoothed before her parents showed up.

"Hullo, Hermione."

I turned and smiled, wrapping my arms around Ron as he brushed some of the soot off himself, stepping out of the fire quickly.

"Ron, how are you?" I beamed up at him.

He grinned. "Good. Are they still upstairs?"

I nodded. "Do you want to go up or shall I?"

"We're here, calm down."

We turned to see Harry looking rather sheepish as he tried to flatten his hair and Ginny miraculously looking flawless as they entered the room. I raised an eyebrow at them, but before I could say anything, Mrs. Weasley stumbled through, followed closely by Mr. Weasley and George.

"Harry, dear, how are you?" Mrs. Weasley pulled him close to her, practically smothering him in her bosom. How she managed to bend him down to that level I didn't understand. I hid a grin as George pulled me into a hug. That surprised me but I quickly hugged him back, then moved on to Mr. Weasley.

After everyone had hugged, we settled around the table and Ginny proudly served the meal as though she'd cooked it herself. I rolled my eyes but opted not to point out that I'd done it all. I shot Harry a look saying this was his birthday present. He grinned back at me and dug in to the food.

The conversation was less strained than I'd thought it would be. There were still a few awkward lulls but before too long, I was clearing the table while everyone passed around the presents they'd brought for Harry.

There were a few items for his new position as Auror, a gift certificate for the joke shop, a jumper, and a few books. I hid a laugh at the books. I'd bet ten galleons they'd be on my night stand tonight. The others gathered up the cake and coffee and disappeared into the parlor, leaving me to my solitude and dishes. I didn't mind, actually. At least it gave me something to do.

"How are you?"

I looked up with surprise as Ron came up beside me at the sink, carefully setting a pile of dirty dishes in the sink.

"I'm fine. How are you?"

He shrugged. "I miss you. Are you still angry with me?"

I shook my head. "No, I've been busy with a few other things."

He nodded and absentmindedly added more soap to the wash water. "I hear you're going back to school."

I laughed. "Was there any doubt?"

He grinned and bumped my hip lightly with his. "No, not really. I suppose you'll be hanging out with Ginny a lot then."

I laughed. "Who knows. I'm curious to see who'll be there, though, from our year."

He nodded thoughtfully. "Have you heard of anyone else?"

I hesitated, not sure how or if I should mention Draco. "Malfoy," I said finally. "We ran into each other a while back and he mentioned he'd be going back."

Ron tensed imperceptibly and I lightly took his hand in the water. He squeezed back. "I'm not sure I'll ever really trust him."

I nodded and rested my head on his shoulder. "I understand. I wish you could open your mind a little. He's not as terrible as everyone thinks."

He sighed and nodded. "Give me time, I guess. If you've decided he's worth being a friend to, I'll try to give him a chance."

I smiled and wrapped my arms around his neck. "Thanks."

He nodded, his hands resting awkwardly on my sides. I kissed his jaw lightly and grinned. "You think Ginny will try to get permission for you two to stay tonight?"

He rolled his eyes. "She's been working on it all day. Ever since the letter's arrived, she's been on about how she wants the two of you to go shopping tomorrow."

I laughed. "Well, I'm not opposed to the company."

He chuckled. "I'm still not sure I'm totally ok with them two," he made a gesture with his fingers and I laughed, slapping his hands lightly "but if it had to be someone, I'm glad it's Harry."

I grinned. "Me too. I think they'll be perfect together. Maybe start a whole new Weasley style clan."

Ron laughed. "Surely they know some good spells."

I ginned. "Yeah, I found a few and passed them on."

He raised an eyebrow at me. "You?"

I shrugged. "I'm the walking library, remember?"

He grinned. "Of course. Why else would you need it?" He tugged on a lock of my hair affectionately and disappeared out the door. I narrowed my eyes after him.

It took everything in me not to shout after him that I'd not only shagged Harry several times, but that more than one of those had been while he was in the same bloody room. And then there was the whole Draco element. I grabbed a bite of cake off the plate they'd left for me and stuffed it in my mouth so I wouldn't say anything I'd regret.

When I was done with the dishes, I tiptoed upstairs discreetly. The others were still chatting in the parlor so I quickly darted down the hall to my room. I grabbed the latest note from Draco and grinned, scanning it quickly.

Our rendezvous had pretty much turned into straight shagging the past few days. We still talked, but there was no more pretense that we necessarily wanted more than that. I scanned the note and grinned, scrawled a response and darted back down to the kitchen. I passed the note to Harry's as yet unnamed owl and promised him hunting galore before joining the rest of the party.

They were all there for far too late, in my opinion. I was ready to be well shut of them by 10 and they lingered until nearly midnight. Draco's owl had returned and dropped the note on my desk through the open window. I knew because I saw him winging away through the large windows in the parlor. My feet itched to go and read the note. Harry could see my anxiousness and finally ushered everyone out. Ginny and Ron hung back, determined to stay the night. Ginny was more determined than Ron, for obvious reasons, but Mrs. Weasley wouldn't have it.

After a lot of arguing and Ginny pointing out repeatedly that she'd fought in the final battle just like everyone else had and that she was an adult anyway, Mrs. Weasley finally relented on the two staying, pulling everyone into another round of bone crushing hugs before the three departing Weasleys Floo'd home, George winking at us as he disappeared.

Ginny turned to Ron and me expectantly. "I suppose you don't mind sharing?"

Ron's face went pale. Apparently Ginny hadn't realized we weren't anything more than friends.

"We'll put Ron in his own room," said Harry quickly. "We've got loads of them. Plus, I guess he'd like his own again."

Ron nodded vigorously and again, I felt slighted. Was Ron Weasley the only one who didn't see me sexually? Probably a good thing we were just friends then. I scowled at his back as Harry led the way upstairs, Ginny practically glued to his side and Ron close behind her. I automatically checked the wards on the house, made sure the fires were out, and headed up behind them. I quickly passed Harry's door, tapping on it twice with my wand to remind him to set the charms, and shut myself up in my room.

I cast a locking spell on my door so no one would barge in on me in the night or interrupt my reading. I snatched the note up and curled up on the bed with it. I scanned it and grinned. He wanted to see me tonight and would be at our meeting spot momentarily.

I rummaged around in my wardrobe and pulled out Harry's invisibility cloak. He knew I was seeing Draco and that I didn't want anyone else to know yet. I'd come home from one of our "dates" and found the cloak neatly folded under my pillow.

I draped the cloak around me and listened at the door. No one was in the hallway and I could faintly hear Ron snoring upstairs. I carefully crept out and locked the door behind me, picking my way down the stairs and out into the cool night air. A moment later I was standing in front of a Muggle hotel. It wasn't fancy, but it wasn't horrible either. It was just nondescript enough. I smiled, satisfied, as I ducked down a dark alley to pull the cloak off and stuff it in my bag. I came back around and smiled wider as Draco approached from the other side.

"Perfect timing," he grinned, pulling me to him in a hug.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him back. "I can't stay the night," I murmured. "Ginny and Ron are staying over."

He nodded. "How late then?"

"Probably 6. Harry will keep Ginny up late and Ron always likes to sleep in."

He quirked an eyebrow at me. "Potter and the Weasley girl?"

I nodded as we started up the steps to our room. Draco had checked in earlier so it wouldn't look like what it was. "They've been keen on each other for ages but only just got up the guts to say anything in sixth year. She waited for him while we were away and now they're joined at the crotch."

He laughed and let us in to the small room on the third floor. I dropped my bag on the table and turned to him.

He was pulling off a jacket and his hair was relaxed around his face. I much preferred it this way. I reached up and ran my fingers through it, smiling at him.

He made a low sound in his throat before wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me against him. I moaned softly and reached between us, pulling on the hem of his shirt. He pulled back momentarily to remove it and at the same time pulled off mine.

"Knickers today?" he asked, kissing along my jaw. His hands were making short work of my bra.

"Of course. I couldn't sit though a family dinner without them." I fumbled with the fastenings of his pants

"Pity. That'd be a fantastic mental image."

His mouth found my breast and I lost coherent thoughts for a while. He pushed my jeans down and I clumsily stepped out of them, pushing his down as I did so. He groaned softly as I wrapped my hand around him and started to lightly stroke him. He slipped his fingers between my legs and I made a noise I hadn't heard from myself before. He grinned at it, clearly pleased.

He removed his hands and scooped me up, carrying me over to the bed. I sighed contentedly as he stretched out over me, his fingertips ghosting the length of my body from ankle to shoulder. I shifted slightly and wrapped my legs around his waist and reached for him again.

He closed his eyes as I started to pull against him more firmly this time and his hand found me. He matched the tempo of his fingers with mine and it took nearly every bit of focus I had to remember him. When we were both on the brink, he pushed my hand out of the way and slipped inside me. I called out his name as we crashed together.

He rolled onto his side, holding me against and around him as we both caught our breaths.

"We have got to keep doing this."

I grinned and nodded. Again, it reminded me of times past, but I pushed that out of my mind. He stroked my hair gently.

"So would you ever take me home to Harry?"

I snorted. "Would you want to?"

He shrugged. "I don't know, maybe. Would he kill me?"

"No. He knows all about it, actually. He's highly amused."

"Amused?"

I laughed. "If you think about it, it really is quite funny. You and I, shagging nearly every night. Really, just you and I being friends is funny."

He traced his fingers up and down my arm thoughtfully. "I suppose so."

"Would you ever take me home to your family?"

His fingers stopped. "I'm not sure," he admitted. "Probably not. I'm expected to marry a pureblood, if I can find one who'd have me."

I rolled my eyes. "The few still around are either old, stupid, or toadies. You don't want one of those."

"Are you volunteering for the job then?" He sounded vaguely amused.

I chuckled and rolled over so my hands were on his chest and my chin was on my hands. I could make eye contact from this position. "No. I'm just pointing out that you should definitely look elsewhere. Can you imagine you and me getting married? All we'd do is shag and fight."

"We haven't fought since we started shagging," he pointed out.

I grinned. "But god forbid I got pregnant. There's a point when we wouldn't be able to and then you'd be fucked."

He laughed and pulled me up his body to kiss me.

"You don't think we could develop a more friendly relationship?"

"Oh, I'm sure we could," I countered, adjusting my body slightly so I was astride him. I grabbed a pillow to rest my chin on. "I'm just not sure we ever would. Do you think this will go on forever?"

He shrugged, his hands sliding up and down my sides. "No, probably not. But it's nice while it does."

I nodded and yawned. "I'm sleepy. Quick nap before the next go?"

He laughed and nodded. I pushed the pillow to the side and clumsily pulled the blankets up around us, staying stretched out on his chest. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head.

The next morning, I barely woke up in enough time to dress and Apparate home before Ginny and Ron would be up. I scrawled a hasty note to Draco before I left and pressed a light kiss to his forehead. I spun on the spot and hurried up the stairs to the house, waving my wand quickly. I was momentarily annoyed that I couldn't simply Apparate into my room. I could hear low voices from Harry's room so I dashed into my room, barely closing the door when I heard theirs open. I threw myself into my bed, rolling around a bit so it would look slept in. I panicked when I realized I was still dressed so I frantically pulled everything off and dropped it on the floor on the other side of the door, only just making it back into a pseudo sleeping position when I heard the door creak open.

"Hermione?"

I pulled the sheets up around my chest and sat up, doing my best to look groggy. Ron was in the door looking mortified.

"Yes?" I asked with a yawn I didn't have to fake.

"Um…we're all up now if you'd like to join us. We're meeting Mum and Dad in Diagon Alley at 10."

I nodded. "Alright. I'll just shower and meet you downstairs."

He nodded and disappeared out the door, his ears bright red. I groaned and threw myself back on the bed. That was much too close for comfort.

An hour later, we were all dressed and wandering down Diagon Alley. Harry and Ron, of course, were simply there for moral support. They quickly disappeared to join the crowd ogling the new broom. I automatically scanned the crowds and bit back a grin when I saw Draco casually exiting a store.

"What's he doing here?" hissed Ginny.

"I suspect he's shopping," I said easily. Draco spotted us and smiled the typical Malfoy smirk as he made his way towards us.

"Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Ginny," he said formally. He turned to me. "Granger."

"Malfoy," I responded. "What brings you here?"

"School supplies." He held up a cauldron. "I'm going back for my seventh year. You?"

"The same."

Ginny's jaw was dropped. Her parents weren't much better.

"Then I suppose we'll see you there," I said cordially.

He nodded and stepped to the side. As I passed him, I felt him slip something into my palm that I quickly slipped into my pocket. Damn him, I wanted to read it now. I shot him a dirty look over my shoulder and he simply smiled at me and went about his shopping.

Hours later, we'd gotten everything we needed and were crowded around a small table eating ice cream. I excused myself to the bathroom and hid in a stall to read the note.

_H_

_I didn't get a chance to tell you that we're going on a trip for the month of August. Father has some distant cousins or someone in India we're going to see. There's less likelihood of their knowing about us so we're going tonight. _

_See you on the train?_

_D_

I stared at the note in shock. He'd be gone a whole month? I felt like crying. I hastily tore the note into little pieces and flushed it, rejoining the group.

Harry looked at me with concern when I took my seat again.

"Everything alright?"

I nodded and forced a smile. "I'm tired," I said truthfully. "There's more that goes into parties than I realized."

The others seemed to accept this but Harry didn't. I passed my half eaten ice cream to Ron who happily finished it off for me. Harry kept looking at me worriedly so I finally stood up and gathered my things.

"If you don't mind, I think I'll go home and go to bed," I said with a smile. "I'm exhausted and not feeling the best. Thank you for a lovely afternoon."

"Shall I come with you?" asked Harry, standing up as I started towards the door.

"No, you stay and enjoy yourself," I smiled. "We can talk later."

He nodded and slowly sat back down, his eyes not leaving me as I exited and walked past the large window.

I made my way back to the house quickly, fighting back the tears that were threatening to spill at any moment. I hurried to my room and dropped everything in a pile on the floor before kicking off my shoes and crawling under the covers and giving in. After a while, I managed to drop off to sleep.

***

"Mione?"

I rolled over and grimaced. My head was throbbing and the faint light was still exceedingly bright.

"Are you alright?"

I sighed and pushed myself up, curling into Harry's lap. "He's going away for a month."

"Is that all?"

I laughed softly. "That's all."

"Why does that upset you so much?" he sounded puzzled.

I shook my head. "I've no idea."

He was thoughtful for a moment. "Maybe you've let it become more."

"Let what become more?"

"Your relationship. Maybe you do want more with him."

"With Draco Malfoy?" I sat up and looked at him in surprise.

He shrugged. "Two years ago, did you think you'd snog him, let alone shag him?"

I sighed and rubbed my temples. "No."

"And yet here we are. You sneak in at all hours like I can't hear you, you hum softly the morning after, you have a spring in your step. Damn it all, but I think you do like him as something more and I think it's good for you."

"When the fuck did you get to be so perceptive?" I grumbled.

He chuckled softly. "I guess I spent more time paying attention to you than you figured."

"Well, stop it."

He grinned. "Well?"

"I don't know. His parents still expect him to marry a pureblood, so what's the point?"

"Everything is changing these days. If you want more, go for it. I'll support you."

"No one else will," I said dully.

"Fuck 'em."

I grinned. "I love you."

"Yeah, I know. I'm pretty damn lovable."

I rolled my eyes and pushed him slightly. "So what would you have done if I'd brought him here one night?"

Harry scratched his chin thoughtfully. "I'm not sure," he said honestly. "Would I have seen or heard anything to disturb me?"

I made a face. "God I hope not."

He laughed. "Probably have glared at him a bit over breakfast, then helped you shove him out the door when Ginny arrived."

I laughed. "Good to know you're on my side."

"You cook. That's not something I'd like to interfere with."

I grinned. "And don't you forget it," I teased, poking him in the ribs.

"That reminds me actually," he said suddenly. "How are the arrangements going to work for the returning seventh years at Hogwarts?"

I frowned. "I'm not sure, actually. I heard a rumor of some seldom used dormitories or a series of apartments. Given the choice, I'd likely pick the apartments. A bit of privacy, you know?"

He waggled his eyebrows at me and I scoffed. "Honestly Harry, take your mind out of the gutter for one moment. I was merely thinking about the luxury of my own bathroom and study."

"Sure you were," he grinned.

"Shut it." I blushed. I'd definitely thought about the other perk to having my own little apartment, but I wasn't going to admit that. Not even to Harry. I stood up and headed into the bathroom.

"I'm going to take a shower then go to bed. If Ginny's coming, she'll be here soon."

He nodded and stood up, making his way towards the door. "Just remember: be careful."

"You too."

He grinned and disappeared.


	7. Chapter 7

I was dying, I was sure of it. Every part of me hurt and nothing would stay in my stomach for more than a few minutes, if that. I was practically living on the floor of my bathroom.

Harry would pop his head in periodically, looking properly concerned for my wellbeing. He left me a glass of water he charmed to stay cool and to cool off whatever I put in it, patted my head awkwardly, and left in the mornings only to return after work to the sniveling ball of mess on the floor that I had become.

On the second day, he scooped me up off the floor and carried me to my bed.

"I'm dying," I rasped. "Just toss me out the window and get it over with."

He chuckled softly. "If you can still joke, you're not dying. I've been there, remember?"

I sighed and let him tuck me in. "Then why do I feel like such shit?"

"You're sick is all," he said, propping me up and carefully tipping some cold water down my throat. "Not too much, now."

I nodded and sipped. It tasted and felt wonderful but I knew if I drank it too fast, it would come right back up. I'd discovered that treat earlier. The nice part of that was it hadn't had time to warm in my stomach, so the cold water felt good coming and going.

"You know," I licked my parched lips, "maybe this is what I sound like when I'm dying. You'll probably come back in an hour or two to check on me and I'll be a little pile of what was Hermione and then you'll be sorry. You'll have to eat Ginny's cooking."

Harry grinned as he set the class on my night table next to the pile of books he'd gotten for his birthday and gently eased me back. "I'll take my chances. Can I get you anything?"

I shook my head and snuggled down into the blankets. "The sweet release of death would be nice but until then, no."

He chuckled again and kissed my forehead before disappearing out the door. I closed my eyes and tried to sleep but I didn't want to anymore.

Draco had been gone for three weeks now, meaning we would see each other on the train in just a few days. If I made it that long. I'd spent the last weeks reading and cleaning and cooking. Harry had invested in a magical freezer and I'd stocked it full of simple meals he could cook himself while I was gone. The house was as clean as I could get it, which was actually saying something. I'd scrubbed from the floorboards and up to the ceiling even, using a tricky cleaning spell I'd uncovered. It was still a dark house, but I knew once Ginny moved in for good after school, Harry would let her have the run of redecorating. For now, just our rooms and the kitchen were personalized.

I rolled over carefully, trying not to upset my stomach again or think about Draco anymore. Three weeks and not a single word. I had no idea how to go about sending him an owl with such a vague address as "India" so I hadn't sent him anything. I'd started and destroyed letters and notes so many times my waste bin was full.

Truth be told, I was a little nervous about seeing him again. What if his feelings had changed? I'd come to realize that he meant something more to me, but did I to him? Or worse, would he decide that he wanted to be rid of me? He could find a girl at Hogwarts who'd be awed by the fact that he was an ex-Death Eater and eager to irritate her parents. He'd be perfect for that.

I pulled the pillow over my face and pressed down, as though maybe I could smother these thoughts out of myself. I was damned and determined to be whatever Draco wanted or needed me to be for him, I just hoped it was something.

I finally drifted off to sleep as the last rays of sun were shining weakly through the cracks in the curtains.

***

I dragged myself up the steps onto the train and into the first empty compartment I found. Ginny was still saying goodbye to Harry so Ron followed me with my trunk.

"Are you going to be alright to go?" he looked worried. "You can come up later you know."

I shook my head. "I haven't missed a beginning of term yet; I don't intend to start now. Well, other than last year, but that doesn't count."

He grinned and settled on the seat next to me. I leaned over and dropped my head on his shoulder. "You smell nice."

"Thanks." He put his arm around me lightly. "You do too."

I laughed. "I should. I scrubbed every inch of me this morning."

He grinned and squeezed lightly. "So are you ready?"

"I am," I said resolutely. "I should think it would be much easier than years past without you and Harry there to drag me into some sort of life threatening situation or distract me with nonsense."

Ron laughed, the sound bouncing around the glass in the room and making my head throb dully. "Oh, we'll send you plenty of owl post to distract you, you can be sure of that. And all of it will be nonsense. I'm tired of seriousness and depression. Prepare yourself for lots of jokes."

I grinned and squeezed his knee affectionately.

"Is this ours then?" Ginny asked, a grin on her face as she and Harry appeared in the doorway.

Ron nodded and stood up to help Harry heft the two trunks up into the overhead racks. Ginny took her seat by the window and sighed wistfully.

"I wish you'd come to school with us, Harry," she said, turning those large eyes on him that he couldn't hardly resist.

He faltered slightly and then shook his head. "I've done with school. I'm working now. I'll be here when you return though."

Ginny's lower lip protruded and I rolled my eyes and elbowed Ron. He grinned at his lap and squeezed my hand. We could hear the call for those leaving to board and those staying to disembark. Harry and Ron hugged us each in turn before hurrying off the train. Ginny pushed the window open and leaned half out, blowing kissed at her parents and at Harry. I stood beside her, waving and smiling to the best of my ability. Harry winked at me and discreetly pointed further back on the train. I grinned and nodded, letting him know I caught his meaning. Draco was nearby.

Ginny hung out the window until we were well away from the station before sitting back in her seat with a sigh.

"I suppose it's just us then," she said with a sad smile. "Will you miss them?"

"Of course," I laughed. "They're my best friends and we've been through a lot together. I must admit I'm looking forward to school, though."

She rolled her eyes. "Of course you are." She stood up and started towards the door. "Want to see who else is here?"

I shrugged. "Might as well. Otherwise I'll sit here and feel worse."

She grinned and tucked her arm in mine. "I'll try to be a better friend this year," she promised. "I just felt like this summer was my time to be with Harry."

I smiled and patted her hand as we lurched down the corridor. I opened my mouth to say something but at that point, the door of the compartment we were passing slid open and the train turned sharply, causing me to lose my balance and go tumbling into the compartment. I landed in an unceremonious heap in Draco's lap. He looked down at me with amusement.

"Hello to you too, Granger."

I flushed and carefully pushed myself up, looking around the compartment. I recognized a few faces, but none well. This seemed to be the compartment where the returning students were. There were two other boys and one girl besides Draco and me. Not many people were interested in returning. I straightened my shirt and nodded at the others.

"Hello." There were nods and curious looks and I sighed. "I'm sorry. I lost my balance."

There was a hint of a smile on Draco's face. "I don't mind. Anytime you want to throw yourself at me, feel free."

I quirked an eyebrow at him as I exited, lightly tilting my head back towards the direction of the compartment Ginny and I had staked out. He nodded his head slightly and smiled.

Ginny made a face as I came out. "Sorry, I would have tried to catch you but it all happened so fast."

I chuckled and shook my head. "It was no one's fault, but I think I'll go lay down now."

She looked concerned. "Brushing up against Malfoy turn your stomach?"

I laughed. "In a manner of speaking."

"I'll bring you something to drink later, yeah?"

I nodded and carefully made my way back to the compartment. I stretched out on the seat I'd been sitting on earlier and closed my eyes. A few minutes later I heard the door slide open. I cracked one eye and saw Draco seating himself in Ginny's vacated seat.

"How was your trip?" I asked, closing my eye and rolling on my side to face him.

"Hot and discreet. No one knew us. Mother and Father are moving there soon."

I opened my eyes at that news. "Really? Are you going to join them?"

He shook his head and stretched his long legs across the space between us. "No. I'm staying here, even after school. I much prefer London."

I smiled and closed my eyes again. "So you'll have the whole of the Manor all to yourself. That's a bit sad, actually."

"I'll survive."

I nodded, swallowing a wave of nausea as the train lurched around another bend. I'd never noticed before how much movement there was on this trip.

"Are you alright?"

I sighed and sat up slowly. "No. I've been sick for days." I twisted my hair up and secured it with my hair tie. "I keep hoping I'll just die and get it over with but no such luck."

"Have you seen a medi-witch or anyone?"

I shook my head and rested it against the back of the seat. "No, I'm fairly sure I know the problem."

"Bad food?"

I snickered. "I do all the cooking, so thanks for that."

He laughed and I felt him move beside me on the seat. His arm slipped around my waist and he pulled me against his side. I shifted closer and rested my head against his shoulder.

"So what then?"

I chewed on the inside of my cheek nervously. "Just a bug," I said finally. "It'll pass soon."

He nodded and rubbed my arm comfortingly. "I missed you while in India."

"I missed you too."

I closed my eyes and let the rocking of the train lull me to sleep.

I woke up as the train was slowing down. Ginny was sitting across from me, reading quietly. I looked at her with surprise.

"Reading? Really?"

She laughed. "You're not the only studious one around you know." She closed the book on my finger and leaned forward. "Feeling better?"

"Some, thanks." I sat up, confused. I would have sworn that I'd fallen asleep on Draco. I grinned to myself when I saw my head pillowed on a black coat that wasn't mine. I climbed onto the edge of the seat and stuffed it into my trunk while pulling out my school robes.

"You should have woken me sooner," I chided her.

She shrugged. "You looked so peaceful when I got back and Harry told me you hadn't hardly slept all week."

I nodded and fastened my robes. "So how long have you been here while I was sleeping?"

"Oh, just an hour or so. Did you go to sleep right when you came in?"

I nodded. "Nearly." I settled back in my seat and closed my eyes. "You think they'll make a big to-do over us?"

"Probably." Ginny was back to her book. I opened my eyes and leaned forward. I grinned when I saw she had a quidditch magazine hidden inside it.

"Studious."

She grinned. "I didn't say what I was studying."

The train slowed to a stop and we stood up and made our way out with the rest of the throngs of students. I smiled and waved at Hagrid as he towered over all and herded the terrified First Years over towards the boats. I grimaced when I saw the Thestrals. They really were just as hideous as Harry had always said, but sweet in a strange, creepy, skeletal way.

Ginny and I crowded into a carriage with a few other students and started the long slow ride up to the castle. I started to feel hot again in the closeness of the carriage. Ginny caught my eye and as soon as the carriage stopped, she pushed our way through the crowd and pulled me over to some bushes where I was sick.

"You should have stayed home," she clucked, smoothing my hair away from my face.

I sighed and sent a small stream of water into my mouth to swish and spit. "I'll be fine," I muttered. "Quit making such a fuss."

She smiled and kept smoothing. "It's something simple I can do."

I stood up and smiled at her wanly. "You're a good friend. I don't appreciate you enough."

"Damn straight you don't."

I grinned and linked arms with her as we started up the path to the school. "You should go lay down and I'll bring you something to eat later."

I nodded. "Sounds lovely." I put my cheek against hers and kissed the air as we caught up with Headmistress McGonagall.

"Headmistress" began Ginny quickly, "Hermione is sick. Can I help her to her room before the feast?"

"Of course, of course," Professor McGonagall peered at me with concern. "Nothing serious I hope? Shall we send for Madam Pomfry?"

"I'll be fine," I smiled. "I just need peace and quiet."

She nodded and gestured for me to follow her. "Miss Weasley, you go straight on in. Miss Granger, I'm afraid I'll have to send you up with someone else. My presence is required."

I nodded. "Of course, Headmistress."

She smiled and I could tell she was rather proud of the title. She waved over Professor Sprout and quickly explained the situation to her. Professor Sprout looked at me with concern and I could feel my strength wavering. I reached for the wall to hold myself up and felt strong hands wrap around my waist.

"I'll help," offered Draco's voice above and behind me.

Headmistress McGonagall and Professor Sprout stared up at him in shock before McGonagall nodded. "Of course. You will need to know where the Eighth Years are being housed."

I let Draco slip his arm around my waist and pull me against him. I wasn't quite so weak that I needed that much assistance, but he felt so nice I didn't want to push him away.

We made our way through the castle. I noticed the repairs in progress around the building and I felt like crying that my sanctuary had been so scarred. Draco was looking around in amazement and I realized he hadn't been here since the night Dumbledore and I took him and his parents away. I squeezed his arm as he hesitated, staring at some of the broken walls yet to be mended. He shook himself slightly and continued on, renewing his grip on me.

We walked for what felt like ages before we came to a large portrait of a pair of children playing in a courtyard. They looked up and beamed at us, the little girl raising her apron shyly as she looked at Draco through long dark lashes. I grinned as Professor Sprout caught the children's attention.

"Simon says." The children immediately swung open the portrait and revealed a cozy looking common room. Draco helped me in as Professor Sprout began talking.

"As there are only five of you, we're merging you together here. You are allowed to join your houses in their dormitories if you wish, as there are a few vacancies this year, but these are the quarters we have set up for you. There is a girls' room" she gestured to the right of the fireplace "and a boys' room" she motioned to the left. "Each room has its own bath and we expect you to stay in your own rooms." She gave Draco and me a severe look and I smiled sweetly at her.

"Miss Granger, would you like me to have something brought up for you?"

"Ginny Weasley said she'd bring me something."

"She won't know where to go."

"Oh." I'd forgotten that part.

"I'll have the house elves bring you something in a bit. I should think some broth would do you very well." She patted my hand and shot another withering glare at Draco before disappearing back out the portrait hole.

I grinned up at Draco. "You'd better not take advantage of my fragile innocence or Sprout will get you."

He laughed and helped me into a seat by the fire. "I'm sure she would." He sat on the couch beside me and looked around with interest. "This isn't that bad, actually."

I nodded my agreement as I twisted my neck to look around as well. It was decorated with every house's colors, a little section in each. I smiled when I saw a small desk and chair with a lamp in Gryffindor in the opposite corner as the Slytherin desk. "I suppose they don't want us to be too near each other for fear we'll try to kill each other," I grinned, pointing it out.

Draco chuckled. "If only they knew."

I winked at him and pushed myself up shakily and made my way into the girls' dorm. It was a large room with two school beds, one with red drapes, the other with blue. The other girl was from Ravenclaw then. That left the two boys to be from Hufflepuff.

I sank onto my bed with a contented sigh. It was softer than the bed I'd slept in for years in Gryffindor. Probably had a new mattress. It looked like everything in this small area was new.

"Hermione, your food is here."

I rolled over and saw Draco standing in the doorway, his hands in his pockets. I pushed myself up and carefully made my way towards him. I was feeling shakier than ever now. He picked me up gently and carefully settled me onto the couch and then gently spoon-fed me the broth. I quirked an eyebrow at him.

"You're being awfully nice. Any reason?"

He grinned. "I missed you the last month is all. I don't want you to be sick the whole term or I'll have an unfair advantage over you in classes."

I grinned and let him continue to feed me. It was nice being taken care of.


	8. Chapter 8

Eventually, the constant nausea and vomiting passed and I returned to my human form. I was still weak and achy for a few days, surviving on broth and weak tea for what felt like forever. I didn't have time to really baby myself, though, as classes began in full force and since I'd been out of school for over a year, I felt dreadfully behind, even though the other so called Eighth Years were in the same situation.

We were lumped in with the Seventh Years, to our relief. It was awkward enough sharing a common room with three strangers; it would have been horrible to be cooped up in small classrooms with just the five of us day after day.

Our three classmates were quiet students, the main reason neither Draco nor I really remembered them. The boys were twins, Kyle and Keith, and the girl was named Roberta. They all pretty much kept to themselves, studying into the night which was an annoyance as it didn't give Draco and me any time to ourselves.

Draco was just a shadow of who he'd been before. He was quieter, more subdued, more focused on his studies. As much competition as he'd been before, it was all I could do to keep ahead of him now. It was a relief to have something to work for that didn't involve life or death situations.

Just as he promised, Ron sent me a letter every three days with jokes in them, new things that he and George had created together, old things that were favorites, even occasional normal treats.

Harry wrote, too, though not as often to me. He spent most of his time sending letters to Ginny. They were nothing compared to the ones she sent him. I read a snippet of one by accident, thinking it was a spare bit of parchment. It had made me squirm uncomfortably. I quickly tucked it in my pocket for a suggestion for Draco.

About a month into the school year, I finally grabbed Draco and pulled him along with me, dragging him to a secluded spot down the hall from our dorm. I'd found it earlier in the week after discreetly scoping out hiding places.

Draco looked at me with surprise as I pushed him behind the statue and climbed up in the alcove with him, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him down to kiss me. He grinned against my mouth and pulled me tight against his body. I sighed and kissed him deeper, fingering his hair.

"I've really missed this," he murmured against my neck. "Maybe more than the sex."

I laughed softly and kissed the top of his head. "I've missed this, too."

We met there regularly after that, at least once a day, sometimes more if we could manage it. It was our own private getaway from everything else: classes, homework, the bookworm triplets. Mostly it was snogging, Draco being too concerned for my state of health to chance much more, but I eventually convinced him I was up for more rigorous activities. When I produced the note I'd stolen from Ginny, he scanned it, his eyes widening as he looked at me.

"You seriously want to try this?"

I grinned. "Could be fun."

He looked skeptical. "Could be dangerous."

I laughed and wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him down to kiss me again. "What's life without a little danger?"

He grinned and shook his head. "I'll try that sometime, but not here, not where there are so many hard surfaces on which you could kill yourself."

I laughed and coyly wrapped my leg around his and pulling his body closer to mine. "Then we should do other things."

He grinned. "That I can handle."

A month in, Roberta moved out, deciding she would much rather be with her friends in Ravenclaw. She neatly packed up her belongings and disappeared one evening, to all of our surprise. There was a small debate among a few of the teachers as to the propriety of my living in a dorm with three boys. I put my foot down, stating I would prefer to stay where I was, enjoying the privacy and private study area and that having handled a war, I felt I could handle three teenage boys.

A few weeks after that, the day of the first snow in fact, the twins moved out without much of a goodbye, leaving Draco and I alone in the Eighth Year dormitory. Another fuss was made and another stand was taken. By mid-November, Draco and I were essentially living together.

To celebrate our first night, Draco and I retreated to our common room earlier than most. He caught me in front of the fireplace, grinned and pulled me close to him, kissing me deeply. I reached up and wrapped my arms around him tightly and kissed him back, pulling his head to mine.

After a few minutes of that, he dropped to his knees in front of me and opened the front of my robes, slipping his hands inside them and untucking my shirt. He kissed my stomach through the thin fabric of my shirt and my breath caught in my throat. He slid his hands down from my waist over my hips and back up the outside of my legs under my skirt.

"You've filled out some," he said softly, looking up at me. "I like it." He pressed his lips against the soft skin of my thighs, lightly dragging his tongue against the skin and nearly making me lose my mind.

"Draco," I gasped softly.

He looked up at me again and his eyes were so dark I felt like I was losing myself in them. Without taking his eyes off mine, he hooked his fingers over the waist of my panties and gently tugged them down. I bit my lip as his head disappeared under my skirt. Fuck, I loved his tongue.

There was only so much teasing and stroking I could take before my knees gave way and I fell onto Draco. He caught me with a grin as he held me against him with one arm and undid his pants with the other. He settled back against the couch and pulled me fully onto his lap, both of us groaning softly as our bodies connected. Draco pulled his wand out and pointed it at the portrait hole before muttering something. I looked at him curiously.

"Make all the noise you want, I silenced us."

I grinned and rocked against him roughly, leaning forward and kissing his neck. He slipped his hands around to my back and pulled me against him.

"We fit rather well, don't you think?"

I nodded against his neck, momentarily having breath enough to simply breathe. We were silent from then on, focused simply on each other, the taste and feel of the body against ours.

Draco knew my body by this point and could tell when the need was building up in my stomach. He reached for me, lightly stroking me with his finger as he continued to pull me against him. I groaned and reached between us to cup him as well.

"Shit," he grunted, crashing over the brink. I grinned and followed him soon after.

"Merlin, I love you," he groaned against my neck.

I was panting, so I wasn't sure if I'd heard him correctly. I sat back in his lap.

"Pardon?"

He looked up at me startled. "Shit."

"Do you mean that?"

He was trapped and he knew it, literally and figuratively. He looked slightly panicked. "Can we adjust our positions?" he asked uncomfortably.

I sighed and shifted off of him. I stood up and shook out my clothing, wrapping my robes around me tightly. "I guess that answers it then," I said quietly.

He looked pained as he stood up and adjusted his clothes. "You started this knowing we didn't want more."

I nodded, not looking at him. "Sometimes things change."

"Have they changed for you?"

I chewed on my lower lip. "I wish we could be more open about what we are," I admitted quietly.

He was silent then. "Are you saying you wanted to be in an actual relationship?"

I froze. Was I? "I don't know."

He straightened up and looked at me for a long moment with those piercing eyes of his. "You know no one would approve."

I nodded, swallowing hard.

"It's probably for the best we keep this quiet, at least until we decide what _we_ are."

I was quiet, staring at his chest so I wouldn't have to meet his eyes.

"We should decide soon."

"Why?"

I twisted my hands in my robes like a scared child. "I'm pregnant," I said softly.

If Draco could have stepped away from me, he would have. He stared at me in shock. "Pregnant?"

I nodded, my heart pounding in my throat. He reached forward then and gently loosened my hands. He pried them apart and studied my body now, with the renewed knowledge of what had caused the curves he'd been so enjoying the past few weeks.

"So that's why you always stay clothed now," he said quietly.

I nodded, watching with interest as his as his hands lightly splayed across my stomach. I wasn't showing much, but with my stomach exposed now in the light of the fire, it was obvious there was something there.

He pulled me over to the couch then and settled me in one corner, seating himself in another and studying me for a long moment.

"How far?"

"I estimate about four months."

"Have you seen a medi-witch?"

I shook my head. "I'm afraid it would be in all the papers the next day: Hermione Granger, Unmarried and Knocked Up."

He was quiet. "I hate to say it, but are you sure it's mine?"

I waited a moment for the surge of anger that he would doubt my claim but nothing came. We had never said we were exclusive. He had no reason to expect me to _not_ sleep with anyone else.

"I'm sure." I said softly. "You're the only one since school."

He nodded and leaned forward, holding his head in his hands. "What are our options?" he asked tiredly.

"The normal ones," I said finally.

He nodded. "What do you want?"

I wanted to keep it. I hadn't let myself think about making a choice one way or the other. Letting myself fall in love with the being inside of me had seemed foolish but I knew that I couldn't ever really give it up. I'd given up too much already.

"Hermione?"

I jumped and looked up at Draco guiltily. "I want to keep it."

"Good." He sat back, looking relieved. "Good." He was quiet for a long moment. "Then I suppose the next step is to get married."

I stared at him in shock. "Married?"

"It's one way to save both of us, don't you see?" I didn't see. He stood up and began pacing agitatedly in front of the fire. "I want to raise my child, I want to be a present father. You don't want to be splashed over the tabloids as a slut who got pregnant randomly. This can also help my family name, give us some measure of respectability again."

"By marrying your fuck buddy because you got her pregnant?" I asked incredulously.

He sighed. "Obviously that part doesn't really fit, but marrying part of the Golden Trio, having a child with her." He was still pacing and it was making me dizzy. I reached out and grabbed his hand, halting his movements. He looked down at me and sighed.

"Obviously this isn't how either of us would ask for this to happen, marriage, children, any of it, but we both want it, right? And we get along well?" his eyes searched mine desperately.

"But we don't love each other," I said softly.

"No, but that could come later. Marriages of convenience have happened throughout history and sometimes, they result in more. Who's to say we couldn't become more?"

I was so tired all of a sudden. "Let me think about it?" I asked softly.

He nodded and pulled me to my feet then, kissing me again. "Can I share your bed or would you rather I stay in the other room."

I pressed my face against his chest. I already knew what I was going to tell him. I tightened my arms around his waist and held him against me. "Stay with me," I said softly. "Please don't leave me."

Draco nodded and led me into the bedroom quietly. I tiredly dropped my clothes on the floor and crawled into the bed naked. Draco crawled in behind me and pulled me against his chest, one hand resting securely over my stomach. I lightly lifted his left arm and traced the Mark with my fingertips, something I'd done dozens of times over the past few months.

"How will you explain this?"

"Honestly. Not right away, but he should know the consequences of getting caught up in someone else's fight. I want my son to have a mind of his own."

I nodded and laced my fingers in his.

"Draco."

"Yes?"

"Did you mean it? Earlier?"

He was quiet, his thumb rubbing the top of my hand. "I wish to Merlin I did."

I nodded. "Thank you for not lying to me."

He kissed my bare shoulder. "I'm nothing without my honor, right?"

I chuckled softly. "Well, except for fabulously wealthy and good looking."

"Of course. The honor is the important part, though."

I twisted over and pulled myself up and kissed him. "Good night."

"Good night."


	9. Chapter 9

I woke up the next morning knowing that everything was different. Draco's arm was across my side still, pulling my body firmly against his. I shifted slightly so I could study him while he slept. I didn't get many opportunities to just look at him.

His hair was thicker than I remembered it being, but just as pale. The weak sunlight coming through the windows made it look almost white. There were fine lines around his mouth and eyes that hadn't been there our Fifth Year, I was sure. I lightly traced them with my fingertips, wondering when they'd made their appearance.

His skin was pale and smooth with a dusting of the white blond hairs over it that caught the sun and glowed faintly golden. His muscles were well defined under the alabaster, again thanks to quidditch. The veins under his skin were most visible in his arms, though I could make out the faint blue lines on his chest and neck.

I studied his face, his lips lightly pursed in sleep and then flushed slightly as I discreetly lifted the blankets to peek at the rest of him.

"Like what you see?"

I jumped and dropped the blankets guiltily. "Not bad."

He laughed softly and rolled me over his body, kissing me on the forehead. "How long have you been awake?"

"Not long." I snuggled closer to his chest, wrapping my legs around his. "I was looking at you."

"And?"

"You're very attractive."

"Of course I am."

I rolled my eyes. I hated the Malfoy arrogance. "So if we get married, I suppose we'll have to do it soon."

"Yes." He was twisting his fingers absentmindedly in my hair.

I traced designs on his chest. "Do you want a big wedding?"

"No."

"Me either."

"Then we can tell people we got married whenever we want to."

I laughed softly. "You're a Malfoy; you're used to telling people whatever you want to anyway."

"You will be too."

I stiffened. "I will."

"Unless you want to keep your name. That's allowed."

I rolled off him and sat up slowly, hugging my knees to my chest. "I guess I hadn't actually thought about it. I'm not sure I'm ready to give up my name."

"So stay Hermione Granger." He sat up then and wrapped his arms around me, kissing my bare shoulder blade. "You can change it later if you decide."

I nodded and turned to look at him. He grinned up at me. "So is that a yes?"

I rolled my eyes. "Like I had any other real choice," I teased.

He grinned and pulled me against him, kissing me again. I laughed and swung my leg over his lap, sitting on his stomach. "You'll have to get it now while you can. Before too long I'll be enormous."

He grinned and shifted me lower, then lifted me up before sliding into me. "Not a problem."

I grinned back and started moving against him. Early morning sex was the best. He groaned as he finished a few minutes later, his face pressed against my chest.

"I'm so glad I get to do that for the rest of my life."

I laughed softly. "Sappy." I kissed his head and carefully climbed off, heading to my bathroom to clean up.

Half an hour later we were bathed, dressed, and heading down to see Headmistress McGonagall. If anyone would have advice for us, she would. We stood nervously side by side in front of the large gargoyle.

"Ready?"

"No."

I took a deep breath and stepped forward. I rapped lightly on one of the knots on the gargoyle's head. There was silence for a beat and then the statue slowly started to twist. We stepped on and rode all the way up to the office.

It was slightly painful to enter, knowing that Dumbledore wouldn't be there. McGonagall was sitting at her desk, her glasses low on her nose as she worked on something.

"Yes."

"Professor, we have a situation we need to discuss with you."

She looked up at us for a long moment, then sat back. "Well?"

"I'm pregnant, Draco's the father, we want to get married." It all came out in a blur and I was terrified I would have to repeat myself.

Minerva McGonagall was not a woman to be caught off guard, but I think we managed to do precisely that. Her jaw dropped and she stared back and forth between us.

"Pregnant?" she repeated stunned, leaning forward to catch every word.

I flushed. "Yes. I'm afraid we weren't very careful over the summer."

She sat back, looking somewhat relieved. "So it didn't happen here."

"Well, no. I was pregnant when I got on the train."

She looked at Draco. "And you, Mr. Malfoy? You didn't think to be more careful?"

He sighed. "No."

"And you truly want to marry this girl?"

"Yes." He reached over and took my hand.

"Do you love each other?"

We were both silent. I shifted slightly. "No," I said finally. "We don't love each other, but we have every confidence that it will come with time."

"And if it doesn't?"

"Then we've got a friendship to sustain us."

She looked skeptical. "You realize a wizard marriage cannot be broken. It's not like divorce in the Muggle world."

"We do." Draco's voice was calm and collected.

She nodded and looked at me. "I assume you wish to do this quickly and discretely."

"Yes." I blushed and Draco stepped closer to me, slipping an arm around my waist.

"We can do it here if you like. Over the break."

I looked at her with surprise. "We can?"

"Of course. Very few students are staying this year so there will be room for whatever guests you chose to invite. Will there be many?"

I shook my head. "Just Harry and the Weasleys for me." I looked up at Draco.

"Just my parents."

She nodded. "I can make the arrangements for you. The last Hogsmeade trip is next weekend. I suppose you can purchase whatever you need then?"

I nodded.

"And of course living arrangements will have to be discussed."

"What's wrong with what we've got?" asked Draco with confusion.

"It's unseemly for a married couple with an infant to be living at the school with younger children."

I nodded numbly. "Will we be asked to leave school?"

"No," she said, pursing her lips. "You will simply no longer be allowed to live on the school grounds. I'm sure you can find a suitable apartment in Hogsmeade. Its close so you can come up for classes."

I nodded, still feeling slightly numb. Leaving Hogwarts. I never thought they'd make us go. McGonagall was studying us, her lips still pursed.

"Mr. Malfoy, would you give Miss Granger and me a moment in private?"

We both looked at her with surprise, but Draco nodded and, squeezing my hand reassuringly, exited the room. We stared at each other for a beat before she gestured to the chair in front of her desk.

"Take a seat, won't you?"

I did, nervously. I tucked my hands under my thighs to keep myself from fidgeting.

"Are you absolutely certain this is what you want?" she asked gently. "This will change everything."

I nodded. "I know."

"And you're prepared for that? You realize the Malfoys are still scorned in the wizarding world."

I nodded again. "Our hope is that perhaps this will alleviate some of that."

She was quiet for a long moment. "I'm afraid that it'll do the opposite, actually. Rather than endear them to the public, I worry that it'll further condemn them. People will gossip about you a lot, you realize. There will be stories that he attacked you or that you're imperiused."

I blanched. I hadn't thought of that. "But I'll know the truth."

"And you're prepared to face that?"

I sighed and slumped in my seat. "Are any of us ever really prepared for anything? Harry wasn't ready for his responsibilities and I'm not ready to be a mother, but sometimes you just have to do it because that's the hand you've been dealt."

She gave me a dry smile. "True. But you don't have to marry Draco Malfoy. Unwed mothers aren't as common in the wizarding world as the Muggle world, but they are present."

"People will think less of me if I'm a single mother who doesn't name the father, a single mother who names the father as Draco Malfoy, and as a woman married to Draco Malfoy and mother of his children. I lose out in all aspects, Professor," I said quietly. "I didn't ask for fame when I became Harry Potter's friend, but that's what I was given. I didn't ask for a child when I had sex, but that's what I've got. I deal with the fame and I'll deal with the child and the whispers and gossip that comes with marrying Draco. I've lost my family because of Voldemort and, indirectly, so has Draco. This child is the only family either of us really has left, the only blood. I wouldn't dream of taking that from him."

McGonagall nodded, seeming to accept my answers. "And the fact there's no love between you isn't a problem for you?"

"I always hoped I'd fall in love, get married, and have a child, in that order. Maybe my life was just destined to do things in reverse."

She chuckled and stood up, coming around the front of the desk then. I stood up and she pulled me into an uncharacteristic hug.

"You really are the brightest witch of your age. Mr. Malfoy has an interesting life ahead of him with you as his wife."

I grinned. "That he does."

"Know that you can always come to me for help, Miss Granger. And I do look forward to meeting that child. I'll be interested to see what house he's put into."

I laughed. "Oh, probably Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff."

She chuckled and motioned to the door. "Go on then, he's probably frantic, thinking I'm trying to talk you out of marrying him."

I nodded and started towards the door, pausing and turning back. "What do you need from us for the ceremony?"

"Your presence and rings. It's a simple enough ceremony, much like the Unbreakable Vow. If you want flowers or anything, that is up to you."

I nodded. "And where?"

"I thought we might do it in the Great Hall. There will be a few teachers present over the holidays who would be intrigued to see this wedding."

"When would be best?"

"I think the Saturday before Christmas would be fine. Then everyone can be with their families on Christmas if they choose."

I grinned and nodded. "Ok. Thank you professor."

She smiled and motioned me away again.

I descended the stairs and grinned when I saw Draco with an air of nonchalance about him that was so obviously fake I wanted to laugh. I slipped my arms around his waist and stood on my toes to kiss him lightly.

"Worried?"

He gave me a look and I grinned, squeezing him. He sighed. "Maybe."

I chuckled and started for the stairs. "Everything is fine. We need to owl everyone, though. Its set for the Saturday before Christmas."

He nodded, looking thoughtful. "I'm not sure if I can send an owl from here to India."

"We can stop at the post in Hogsmeade when we're there next weekend."

He nodded again, lost in thought. "Do you want me to write anything to Ron or Harry?"

My step faltered. That was the first time he'd ever called them by their first names. "Do you want to?" I asked carefully.

He shrugged. "I almost feel like I should have their blessing."

I was silent as we walked. "It's up to you," I said finally. "If you want to, I'll include it. If not, I won't be hurt."

"Are you going to write to your parents?"

I sighed. "They don't know me, Draco. I've visited a couple times, but there's not even a spark of recognition in their eyes."

"When did you visit?" he asked with surprise.

"Once in June, once in August. I wanted to make sure they were ok."

"And?"

"They are."

He nodded and we stopped. I realized with a start that I'd automatically led us back to the portrait of the Fat Lady. She was eyeing Draco suspiciously.

"You're not one of mine," she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

Draco flushed and I rolled my eyes. "He's not, but I am. I don't have the password, but could you get word to Ginny Weasley that Hermione wants to talk to her?"

She studied me for a moment then nodded and disappeared out of the frame. I leaned against the wall, my feet out in front of me to keep me from sliding down the wall.

"Weasley?"

"I need to start by telling someone in the family, might as well be her."

"Should I stay?"

"It's up to you."

He nodded but didn't leave. We lapsed into silence for a while.

"So what do we need to buy next weekend?" I asked absentmindedly.

"Rings, I guess."

I nodded. "Dress robes?"

"I've got some."

"Oh. I don't."

"Then we'll get you some dress robes," he said with a shrug. "We also need to look at housing. Unless…" he stopped and looked away, embarrassed.

"What?" I asked, pushing myself up off the wall.

"We could live at the Manor and Apparate here every day."

I made a face. "I don't want to Apparate eight months pregnant."

"Right. Just a thought." He scuffed his toe against the rock floor.

The portrait swung open and Ginny appeared, her cheeks slightly flushed. She looked back and forth between us with surprise.

"Hermione?"

"Hi, Ginny," I smiled uneasily. "We need to talk."


	10. Chapter 10

"You're what?" Ginny stared at me incredulously.

I sighed and rubbed my temples tiredly. "I've said it three times now. Do I really need to repeat myself?"

"Yes, because obviously something is wrong with my hearing because I could swear you just told me you're pregnant with his child and marrying him in a month." She jabbed a thumb in Draco's direction. He shot her a dirty look.

"Your hearing is fine," I said testily. "I'm pregnant, Draco's the father, we're getting married."

"How is that even possible?" she demanded. "We hate him!" she looked back and forth between us. "Right?"

"Obviously not," muttered Draco, tearing a scrap piece of parchment into tiny strips.

I hid a smile as Ginny's eyes narrowed at Draco. "Fuck you."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "I believe Hermione did that quite well, thanks."

"Seriously? Why?" she turned to me, shaking her head. "I don't get it. Why Malfoy?"

Draco settled back in the chair, grinning. I wanted to kick him. We'd brought Ginny back to our common room and she and I were now on the couch. Draco was across the room sitting at my desk, his feet propped up as he tilted backwards in the chair.

"Why not, for Merlin's sake?" I exploded. "Shit, Ginny, it's not like there was anyone else who was all that interested. Ron's head has been up his ass since before puberty!"

Ginny's jaw dropped and she stared at me in shock. "I still don't get why Malfoy. Wasn't there anyone else?"

I sighed. I would gladly have gone to Harry to assuage the loneliness and need, but he wasn't an option and no way was I telling Ginny that. "No."

She shook her head and sat back in disbelief. "I just don't get it."

"There's nothing to get," I said angrily. I stood up and started pacing back and forth. "I just wanted you to know because I wanted you to be there and I wanted your support. I guess that's too much to ask."

"Hermione." Ginny grabbed me and pulled me close. I realized I was crying when she started to stroke my hair. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "You're right. I should support you. You just caught me completely off guard. Have you told anyone else?"

I shook my head. "Well, other than McGonagall. She's taking care of a lot of the arrangements."

"So you still have to owl Harry and Ron."

I nodded miserably. She let out a low whistle.

"Ron's gonna shit."

"Thanks for the encouragement."

She chuckled. "And Harry?"

"He knows Draco and I have been together all summer."

"And he didn't tell me?" she demanded indignantly.

I shrugged. "It wasn't his secret to tell."

She frowned and pushed me down onto the couch, settling beside me. Draco in the corner was forgotten.

"So what do you need from me?" she asked expectantly.

"Help me get some dress robes this weekend in Hogsmeade," I said. "Something nice but simple enough I can wear again."

"No wedding robes?" she asked with surprise.

I shook my head. "No. This is going to be very simple. A few flowers maybe but that's all."

Ginny looked supremely disappointed. I rolled my eyes and patted her hand, wiping my face after. "You can have the biggest frothiest wedding of the millennium when you and Harry get married, Ginny, I just want something simple. I'll be five months pregnant at the time. Plus, it's not like I've got loads of people to invite."

Ginny flushed slightly. "You think I'll marry Harry?"

Draco started laughing from his corner. "Is there any doubt of that?" he snickered. Ginny shot him an annoyed look. I grinned and shifted to a more comfortable position on the couch. The baby was already starting to toy with my bladder some.

"So when are you going to tell them?"

I sighed. "I thought I might owl them and ask them to meet us in Hogsmeade this weekend. They could come up for the day, since it's the weekend."

She nodded and grinned. "I'd love to see Harry. Ron, too, I guess."

I laughed softly. "Think they'd be up for some butterbeers?"

"Of course." she grinned. "They love them. Plus, Ron never really got over Madame Rosemerta." She shuddered delicately and Draco snickered. I shot him a look.

"Would you come be sociable?"

He dropped the chair onto all four legs and crossed the room, settling on the couch beside me. Ginny eyed him warily. He stared back at her. I watched with interest as a staring contest began. After a few minutes, I left to answer the prodding of my child and when I returned, they'd shifted positions so that they were facing each other on the couch. I studied them for a beat before settling at my desk and penning two simple notes asking the boys to Hogsmeade on Saturday. I glanced up periodically to see that the staring war was still going on. It was interesting; they were both so stubborn I'd be hard pressed to pick a surefire winner.

The fire played off of their bodies and I grinned as I realized they had similar skin and the firelight picked up flashes of gold in Ginny's hair and reflected red in Draco's. All purebloods had some common ancestry; it was inevitable, just like the Muggle royalty. There weren't enough of them for them to not intermarry some to maintain blood purity. I sealed the envelopes and scrawled Ron and Harry's addresses on them, neatly stacking them on the edge of the desk. I stood up and walked over to the two of them.

"This is ridiculous," I said finally. Neither of them answered me. I rolled my eyes and leaned in, kissing Draco full on the mouth. He grunted in protest and Ginny made an odd noise somewhere between gagging and triumph.

Draco pushed me away, annoyed. "I was winning."

"No you weren't," taunted Ginny. "I was. I always knew Hermione was really on my side."

"We're all on the same side in this," I grumbled as Draco pulled me into his lap, his arms circling my waist. He rested his chin on my shoulder and lightly kissed my neck. Ginny stared at us fascinated.

"So are you two in love?"

I sighed. "No. We're fond of each other."

"Fond of each other."

Draco nodded.

"Maybe you should lie about that part to Ron. He'll be beyond angry about the whole thing anyway."

I nodded thoughtfully. "I'm not sure I want to lie to Ron, though. Even about that."

She shrugged and stood up, stretching. "It's almost lunch. Coming?"

I nodded and stood up, too. I grabbed the envelopes off the desk and tucked them into my pocket and looked at Draco.

"You?"

He yawned and stood, stretching. "I think I'll skip lunch and get a nap. I can have the house elves bring me something later."

I quirked an eyebrow at him. There was something else that he wasn't saying. He smiled at me innocently and I grinned. "I can bring you back something," I offered.

"Don't worry; I'll take care of it." He pulled me close and kissed me lightly. Ginny made another gagging noise.

After lunch, I made my way quietly to the owlry to send off the letters. I stood for a while, letting the cold November air surround me and clear my head. Everything was changing and I felt like I wasn't going to be able to catch my breath if I didn't force a moment of peace. When I was shivering from the cold, I started back to my room.

When I stumbled through the portrait hole, Draco was seated at my desk again, bits of ink splotted parchment crumpled on the floor all around him. He'd dragged another desk over, his, and situated it so they were facing each other. His desk held the remnants of a meal that had yet to be removed by the house elves. He looked up when I came in and I smiled softly at his mussed hair.

"Words not coming easily?"

He shook his head. "No." he sighed and sat back, dropping his quill on the table. "How do I tell them this?"

"Dear Mother and Father," I began, straightening up the common room some. "Guess what. You're going to be grandparents! We estimate it to be due in April, so the wedding is over the break here at school. We'd love if you could come. Sincerely, Draco and Hermione Granger."

He gave me a look and I grinned, toeing off my shoes and curling up on the couch in front of the fireplace. "Not quite what you're looking for?"

"No, not quite." He yawned and stood up. "You were gone a while."

"I mailed the letters."

"Shouldn't have taken that long."

I closed my eyes. "I took a moment to breathe."

"Was it nice?"

I snorted. "Yes."

"So are you nervous about Hogsmeade?"

"Of course. And don't pretend you're not."

"I won't." I felt the couch sink under his weight. "Do I have to go?"

"Yes."

"Can we take a nap right now though?"

I laughed softly and looked up at him. "Yes, but later we've got school work and you've got to write that letter."

"I've got until Saturday for that," he said dismissively, stretching out carefully behind me on the couch. His arm wrapped around me and I snuggled back against his chest, reveling in the warm hardness of his body behind mine as I drifted off to sleep.

***

I stamped my feet on the stoop as Ginny and I ducked into the shop with dress robes in it. She immediately went to a rack full of frilly lacy robes. I shot her a look and she shrugged.

"Worth a shot."

"Hardly," I muttered, moving towards some more subdued ones.

We'd already been to the owl post and found a lovely little cottage we could move into immediately if we wanted. It was fully furnished and though the décor wasn't to my taste, we'd only be there for a few months before we moved back to London permanently. I was dreading the meeting with Harry and Ron in a little while and hoped to find something to distract myself in here.

I found a lovely set of dress robes in a rich dark blue that actually kind of reminded me of the robes I wore to the Yule Ball. I fingered the fabric wistfully before dropping it and moving on to the rack of robes that were cheaper.

"Hermione what about these?" Ginny held up a set in bright red. I winced.

"Not for my wedding."

"But you want black?" she asked skeptically, gesturing to the robes I was looking at.

I sighed. "I don't want any of these, really," I admitted.

"What do you want?"

"I'd like something Muggle," I decided. "A pretty dress. Maybe in blue," I added, thinking of the ball and the robes from earlier.

"Then we'll get you a bloody blue dress," shrugged Ginny. "Come on, I'm sure the boys are here now."

I made a face but let her pull me out of the shop. Draco was leaning against the wall looking up and down the street boredly.

"Find anything?"

I shook my head. "Not really. The only thing remotely interesting was hideously expensive. I'll order from a dress shop I know."

"You're letting a price tag sway you?" he looked surprised.

"Of course," I said indignantly. "I won't spend money I don't have."

"I have money, though."

"Oh." I'd forgotten that. I wasn't sure how that happened. For six years, Draco had lorded it over everyone that he had more money than we did. I suppose the constant reminders were somewhat necessary. "I can go back and spend gobs of money if you'd like."

He laughed. "No need for that unless you want to." He helped me over a puddle and we started up the steps to the Three Broomsticks.

Inside, the heat and noise hit us like a wall. I couldn't see over the crowds, so I let Ginny and Draco search for Harry and Ron as I carefully unwound my scarf and pulled off my hat. My hair exploded everywhere and Draco looked down at me with amusement.

"Not one word or I'll curse your child with the same hair."

He grinned and took my coat from me.

"I found them," Ginny beamed, her face alight with the prospect of soon being attached to Harry's face. "They've got a private room, come on."

She grabbed Draco's hand and pulled him along behind her through the crowds. I grabbed on and followed along. We stumbled into a small room with a roaring fireplace and a few chairs and tables set around it. Harry and Ron were waiting, arms outstretched to grab us. They froze when they saw Draco. Ginny flashed me a grin and darted back into the main area to get some drinks.

"What's he doing here?" demanded Ron.

Harry's eyes went straight to me. "Are things serious?"

"Serious? What things?" Ron turned on Harry.

"Everyone calm down. Sit." They did and I stood nervously. "There's no easy way about this so I'm just going to dive in. I'm pregnant. Draco's the father. We're getting married in three weeks."

Ron's jaw hit the floor. We seemed to be getting that reaction quite a bit.

"You're going to marry him after he obviously cursed you?" he screeched.

I sighed. "I wasn't cursed Ron."

"You must have been to have sex with _him_." He pointed to Draco with disgust.

"Weren't you careful?" asked Harry with concern. "You were always so careful before."

"What the bloody hell? I'm more concerned about the fact that she said she had sex with him willingly than the careful and what the hell is before?" Ron looked on the verge of exploding an artery.

"He means while we were traveling," I said quickly when Harry's face paled. "We were very careful to make sure that we were packed up and discreet with our magical use."

Ron seemed to accept that, though Draco definitely didn't. I could feel his eyes on me and the second it connected in his brain, he sat back from me, stunned. I shot him a pleading look and he nodded imperceptibly.

Ron was still sputtering about the sex when Ginny returned.

"So," she said brightly. "What'd I miss?"

Ron grabbed a glass and drained it, slamming it down on the table. "You had sex with him?" he shouted angrily. "When you couldn't be bothered to do anything with me?"

I groaned and dropped my head into my hands. This was not going well at all.

"You had sex with Lavender," pointed out Ginny, settling on Harry's knee, each of them with a glass of butterbeer. "Did you ever try for anything with Hermione?"

Ron's mouth opened and closed a couple of times before his face darkened. "That's not the point here. The point is she betrayed us with this git and now she's having his demon spawn and he's tricked her into thinking she loves him and they're going to get married and ruin everything!"

I blinked. "One, I didn't betray anyone. Two, it's my child, too, I'll thank you not to call it demon spawn. Three, I never said I loved him or he I. This is simply for the child. And four, what the fuck am I ruining? A lifetime of misery watching my friends get married and have children? An eternity of no family?"

"You're ruining us ever having another chance," he shouted at me. "One of these days, I fully expected to get my head out of my ass and see you waiting for me."

I stood up and marched over to him. "I was standing there for years you asshole! I waited and waited and you took your sweet time. YOU are the one who ruined everything, not me."

"I had to make sure I knew you were the one," he shouted back. "I had to know before."

"I did know," I was on the verge of tears now. "I've known for ages and you never saw me, not until it was too late."

"I'm seeing now. Marry me instead, I'll raise his bastard," he was starting to sound desperate.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Draco jump to his feet. Harry pushed Ginny aside somewhat roughly and jumped up, too, holding out a hand to Draco, holding him back with a simple gesture. Draco's face was dark with fury and I was sure my own was very similar.

I pulled my hand back and slapped Ron hard. He stared at me stunned, as did Harry and Ginny. I felt Draco's hands on my arms, pulling me away. Ron's face was white now, his freckles standing out almost orange against his skin except for my red hand print.

"We're going," said Draco firmly. He grabbed our coats and scarves and marched me out of the room. The last thing I saw was the startled faces of Harry and Ginny and Ron downing another butterbeer.

Draco paused outside the door to help me into my coat before pulling me along up the path to the castle. He didn't speak the entire way, giving me a chance to cool off and calm down. When we were finally climbing the steps into the castle, I burst into tears. Draco wordlessly pulled me against him.

"What the hell just happened?" I asked bewildered.

"Ron woke up, I suppose," he said quietly. "It was bound to happen."

I pressed my face against his coat and choked back the sobs welling up inside me. Draco helped me inside and up to our room. When I was finally settled on the couch, wrapped in blankets and holding a mug of hot tea between my hands, he looked at me with a guarded expression.

"Harry?"

I nodded tiredly. "Harry."

"Does anyone else know?"

I shook my head. "No. We decided we'd only tell if we absolutely had to. Ginny would be so upset with me if she knew."

He nodded and stared into the fire.

"Are you?"

He sighed. "I'm not really one to judge, am I."

"That's not what I asked."

"I know." He was silent. "I had a bit of a reputation, Hermione, and it was earned. It's not a fact I'm proud of but in the spirit of honesty, there it is."

I nodded tiredly. "Neither of us is perfect, Draco," I said finally.

He snorted. "Until I came along, you'd be hard pressed to find a person who didn't think you were. I've only succeeded in fucking up your life. Maybe you should marry Ron and be done with it."

"I don't want to marry Ron," I said tiredly. "I don't want Ron anymore. I just want to be. I want to be Hermione, whoever the hell she is these days."

He sighed and sat back. "When did everything get so fucked up?"

I set the cup on the table and curled against his chest. "When hormones got in the mix."

He laughed softly. "Damn hormones."

I nodded in agreement. We sat in silence for a while, staring into the fire. I was on the verge of falling asleep when I felt something strange. I sat up and stared down at my stomach.

"Hermione?"

I wordlessly grabbed Draco's hand and pressed it against my belly where I'd felt the movement.

"What…?"

"Shh." I whispered. "Can you feel that?"

He craned his head towards my belly, almost as though listening for something. We were both silent and still, holding our breaths until it happened again. A soft little flutter and a light tap. Draco's jaw dropped and the corners of his mouth curled up into a smile.

"Was that?"

I nodded and moved his hand as I felt the fluttering moving around. After a few minutes, it stopped and we sat in amazed silence.

"So there's really something in there."

I grinned. "Yes. Our little alien."

He nodded. "Ours."

That night as we were drifting off to sleep, the fluttering started again. We lay awake, marveling at our child making his presence known.

"Hermione," Draco murmured against my hair.

"Mm."

"Please don't marry Weasel."

I smiled. "I won't."

"Good. I can't stand the thought of him raising my child."

"Me either."

He kissed my shoulder lightly and we drifted off to sleep.

***

Tali: So, I'm going out of town for the holidays and I'm not sure if I'll be able to upload any chapters. I think I'll have internet access, but it might be limited. If I don't, I apologize! I'll post when I get home on Sunday!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!


	11. Chapter 11

The next morning, we were making our way to the Great Hall for breakfast when Ginny ambushed us and pulled us into an empty classroom. Harry was sitting there, looking exhausted. Draco tensed when he saw Harry.

"What's going on?" I asked warily.

"We need to talk to you," Ginny said firmly. "Sit."

I crossed my arms over my chest defiantly. "No."

Harry sighed. "Hermione, please. We're not attacking you."

I eyed him warily and slowly sat in a chair. Draco stood behind me, clearly not buying we weren't under attack. There was a long pause while Harry gathered his thoughts.

"Ron was out of line yesterday," he finally said. Draco snorted behind me and I looked up at him quickly.

"He won't admit it yet, but he will eventually," added Ginny. "You know how stubborn he can be."

I nodded. My mind immediately went back to how long it took him to get over himself during the TriWizard Tournament. My baby would be boarding the train to Hogwarts before Ron would admit he was wrong.

"Hermione, you were a bit out of line, too."

I stiffened. "How? By defending myself? I didn't exactly see you jumping up to do it yourself."

Harry's face flushed. "I was caught by surprise, but you're right. I should have said something at the time. If it makes you feel any better, I said something later."

Draco huffed and I reached behind me to take his hand. "So what do you want me to do? Apologize? I don't really think I have anything to apologize for."

"You shouldn't have slapped him," said Ginny quietly. "I mean, he deserved it, no doubt about it, but you shouldn't have done it anyway."

I sighed. "It seems like the only way I can get through to him anymore is by slapping him." I stood up. "I'll apologize when Ron can be civil. Until then, he's on his own." I chewed on my lip for a moment. "Harry, I was hoping you'd walk me down the aisle and Ginny, I already asked you to stand with me. If you don't want to now, I'll…well, I won't understand, but I'll try to."

"You want me to give you away?" asked Harry incredulously.

I rolled my eyes. "Not give away, I'm maintaining my own person, just escort me."

He stared at me for a long moment, then crossed the small space between us in one step and grabbed me up in a bear hug. "I'd love to," he said softly into my hair.

I smiled and squeezed him back. When he released me I turned to Ginny and she rolled her eyes. "Of course I'll stand with you. Ron's my brother and I love him but he's a right git the way he's acting. Are you asking the family to come?"

I nodded. "I wanted to talk to the boys first. I'll owl them this afternoon. Do you think they'll come?"

She looked thoughtful. "Probably. They'll be confused, but they see you as another daughter. Mum will be heartbroken it's not Ron, though."

I rolled my eyes. "Maybe I should borrow a penseive and let her see what an arse he's been recently."

She chuckled. "That'd be interesting."

We three turned to Draco. I raised my eyebrows at him. "Do you have anything to add?"

"Only that anyone who says anything like that to you again will have me to answer to."

I smiled and linked my arm in his. "Fine. Now feed me, your spawn is hungry."

He chuckled softly. "Yes, dear."

***

I was exhausted. The past three weeks had gone by in a bit of a blur as we met with McGonagall and went over last minute details, finished up our schoolwork before Christmas holiday, and prepared to move into the small cottage in Hogsmeade. I was hungry all the time, sometimes waking up in the middle of the night craving odd things like kippers or asparagus. Draco was a dear and would always do his best to retrieve it for me, detrimental as it was to his own sleep.

The term ended and the majority of the students left, most none the wiser of anything out of the ordinary taking place over the break. The Weasleys and Harry arrived the Friday before, Ron in tow. He avoided Draco and me, eating on his own at a separate table in the Great Hall.

To my surprise, Molly and Arthur took Draco and my relationship in stride. There were some confused glances and Ginny confided to me one night that they'd drilled her and Harry for information and while they weren't satisfied, they trusted my judgment.

Saturday morning, we were all eating breakfast in the Great Hall when there was a commotion in the entrance. Draco and Harry started towards the door, McGonagall right behind with several other teachers following behind. I grabbed Ginny and we set off after them, too.

I stared at the sight in the entrance hall. The Malfoys had arrived, with piles of trunks and packages around them. It looked like they were moving in.

Narcissa was wearing a beautiful winter white cloak with a black fur collar, her long hair pinned up elegantly. She was carefully removing a pair of black gloves while Lucius directed the house elves who were bringing in still more packages.

He was dressed in black, naturally, his long platinum hair loose around his shoulders. They turned when they heard the group of us entering from the Great Hall.

"Ah, Draco," he said with a smile. "I'm sorry we're so late. We were held up in Morocco."

Draco nodded mutely. He hadn't heard anything from his parents, so wasn't even sure if they were coming at all. I hid behind Ginny, suddenly terrified of my future in-laws. I'd helped face down Voldemort, sure. That had been easy: it was either him or us. They would be around forever.

"Where's my daughter to be?" called Narcissa. "Where's Hermione?"

Ginny stepped aside and pushed me forward. I shot her a look and she quirked an eyebrow at me.

"Hermione," Narcissa smiled warmly. She pulled me into a hug and I was stiff with shock. Even in Wales, I'd not seen a warmth or friendliness like this from the Malfoys. Lucius was practically beaming at me over Narcissa's shoulder. I felt like I'd woken up in some kind of alternate universe.

"Now," she said, holding me back, "we need to get you away from Draco so we can properly prepare you for the wedding. I would love to have held it at the Manor, but I understand the urgency of the matter." She squeezed my shoulders and her eyes flicked down to my middle. I felt my face heat up. I shifted slightly so the gentle swell wasn't as obvious. Thank Merlin for loose robes.

"I'll take responsibility for Draco," said Lucius with a smile. "Come with me." he motioned for Draco and some of the elves to follow him. Where they were going, I had no idea, but he seemed to know the school as well as anyone else and soon they were gone around a corner.

Narcissa turned and started towards the stairs, pulling me along with her. "What time is the wedding again?"

"Two," I said, dazed.

She nodded. "Perfect. We've got time for a short nap before we start getting ready." She looked over her shoulder. "Molly, Ginny, will you be joining us?"

Ginny's jaw dropped and she stared at me. "Um…yes?"

***

Narcissa moved around the common room, talking a mile a minute about India. They were deliriously happy there. The heat and anonymity suited them and she wondered why they hadn't gone there ages ago.

Molly had been apprehensive of Narcissa at first but her naturally congenial nature had won over and she was bustling about with her, unpacking some of the trunks and boxes that had been brought up to the common room. Ginny and I were sitting on the couch in a bit of a daze.

"Am I going mad?" whispered Ginny, leaning over to me.

"If you are, so am I," I whispered back. "This is vastly different from any experience I ever had with a Malfoy in the past."

She nodded, still looking dazed. "I guess babies change people," she said with a shrug.

I nodded and shifted on the couch, resting my head on her shoulder. "Can you believe I'm getting married? To _Malfoy_?"

She snickered. "No. I keep thinking you'll start laughing and reveal it's all a big joke and the father is really Ron or Neville or Snape even."

I shuddered. "Snape? Really?"

She shrugged. "Makes about as much sense as Draco."

I laughed. "Could you imagine a baby with that nose? They'd have to cut it out of me."

She giggled. "Oh Merlin, that'd be awful. At least with Draco it'll be attractive for sure."

I grinned. "And snobby and arrogant and a right bastard at times."

She threw her head back, laughing. "And you say you don't love him," she teased softly, poking me in the side.

I slipped an arm around her and grinned. "You'll come visit whenever you can, right?" I asked softly. "It'll be so lonely there without you."

"You'll be in Hogsmeade and here every day for lessons," she protested.

I nodded. "I know, but I have to live with Draco."

"You essentially live with him now."

"It's different. I can't get away after today."

"True. Yes, I'll come visit, but you'll have to cook for me. I miss your cooking."

"Even here?" I asked with a laugh.

"Even here. Harry's almost out of food. He told me that he's been eating half meals to stretch them further."

I laughed again. "I'll go to London some weekend and cook up a storm for him then," I promised. "I'll leave some of your favorites with instructions that they have to wait until you get home."

She beamed. "I knew you were my friend for a reason."

"Girls," said Narcissa suddenly. "We need to start getting dressed."

I checked the clock and felt my stomach do a couple of flips that were most certainly not the baby. It was noon already. Ginny and I stood up and made our way into my room. I opened the wardrobe and pulled out the dark blue robes. They weren't exactly what I wanted, but then, not much about this wedding was. I slipped them over my head and was fastening them up when there was a soft knock on the door. Ginny looked up with surprise.

"Come in," I called.

Narcissa entered and smiled. "I brought something for you to wear if you'd like." I looked at the garment bag in her arms curiously. She carried it over to the bed and laid it out carefully. She pulled out a beautiful blue dress with white trim on it. "I wore this away from my wedding. I thought you might not want anything too traditional and for a witch, a Muggle dress is considered almost exotic, especially twenty years ago."

I lovingly touched the wide neck of the dress. The Muggle styles from twenty years ago were generally hideous, but even then, Narcissa had style. I wordlessly pulled off the robes I'd been wearing and pulled on the blue dress. It was a little snug through the middle, a fact that made Narcissa beam as she made a few magical adjustments.

"And here," she produced a pair of blue shoes from the bottom of the bag. "I bought these yesterday in Paris. I hope they fit."

I slipped them on and smiled. They were a little big but I could handle it.

"Thank you, Narcissa," I said softly. "You didn't have to."

"I know," she said airily. "But I wanted to. I was tired of being seen as an ice queen by everyone and having to maintain the Malfoy austerity. I hope you'll know me as a much warmer person. I used to be a lot of fun, before."

I smiled and pulled her into an impulsive hug. She hugged me back immediately. The baby started fluttering then and I laughed, pulling back. I grabbed her hands and put them on my belly. Her eyes widened as she felt the kicks.

"Apparently he's happy," I grinned.

She blinked back a few tears and nodded. "Lucius would love to feel this sometime, Hermione," she said softly.

I nodded and grinned. "I'll grab him later. I think this one will be a football player."

She looked confused and I laughed. "A Muggle sport with lots of running and kicking."

She grinned. "An athlete. Wonderful."

Ginny was dressed by then, her long hair pinned up. She looked beautiful in a deep purple dress with white trim and a knee length skirt. She started to fuss with my hair while Narcissa stood back to survey me. I could feel Ginny's wand poking me lightly in the head and felt her fingers carefully pinning white roses in to the dark curls that she'd miraculously tamed.

"Now then, you look lovely," Narcissa beamed at me as she fussed with the full skirt.

I flushed, still slightly embarrassed over the whole situation. We made our way back into the common room where Molly was sitting, dressed in her finest yellow robes and knitting happily by the fire. She looked up and smiled.

"You look lovely dear," she stood up and kissed my cheek. I hugged her tightly.

"Thank you."

There was a low tap at the door that set all the women in the room on edge. Harry's head stuck through the hole and he grinned at us.

"Ready?"

I rolled my eyes. "Do I look ready?"

He stepped in then and studied me. "You look smashing."

I chuckled and held out a hand to him. He crossed the room and amid protestations and gasps, hugged me tightly. I hugged him back, not caring if anything was crushed.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked anxiously, holding me back from him a little.

I gave him a smile. "I don't love him," I admitted, "but he's really not all that bad, Harry. Plus, I've seen him in a couple of compromising positions that I can use to my advantage."

He snickered at that and kissed my forehead. "Well, they're ready for you. Everyone is waiting."

I nodded and took a deep breath. "Is Ron here?"

He looked troubled. "No, Hermione. He wouldn't come. He's still furious."

My shoulders sagged a little and I nodded. I stepped away from Harry and shook out my skirts, smoothing a few wrinkles he's put in them. Harry grinned as I took his arm and he escorted me out of the room.

It was silent as we walked through the school. It was strange to be the only ones in the hallways. Narcissa, Molly and Ginny quickly stepped around us and through the doors into the great hall.

"You could run now, you know. I've got a broom in the hall just in case."

I laughed, the image of me clutching on to Harry as we flew away. "Thanks, but I'll be fine."

"You know this is forever. They don't have divorce in the wizard world."

I nodded. "I know."

He nodded and took a deep breath. "Here we go then." He nodded to the doors and they swung open.

I'd seen all the preparations before and knew what everything was going to look like, but it still took my breath away to see all the flowers everywhere. Everyone was standing and looking at us and I shrank against Harry a little. He squeezed my hand and we stepped forward. My heart was pounding as we walked down the long path between the few chairs. It felt awkward to use such a large hall for such a small wedding. I focused on Draco's face at the end of the aisle and he gave me an encouraging smile.

I didn't really pay attention during the wedding and before I knew it, Draco was wrapping his arms around me and kissing me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he grinned against my mouth and dipped me back.

There were laughs and clapping from the audience, reminding us that we were not alone. I flushed slightly as he righted me and we turned to the on-lookers. Everyone was standing and smiling. Draco and I simply stepped forward to our friends and family and were engulfed in hugs. I was hugged more readily than Draco was, but I was proud to see George wrap an arm around his shoulder and offer his other hand in peace.

The baby started kicking again and I took a deep breath and made my way over to my imposing father-in-law. Lucius looked down at me with an inscrutable look as I nervously reached out and grabbed his hand. He was tense but let me place his hand on my stomach and press. I noticed then that there was silence in the Great Hall.

Lucius' face was tense as he looked at me and then there was a soft little kick, firmly against his palm. His eyes lit up and softened and I saw what he must have been like as a young man. Voldemort really had a way of fucking up people's lives. He rested his hand warmly against my stomach until the kicking stopped, then took it away and smiled at me softly.

"Thank you."

I nodded and turned. Draco was beaming at me. He reached for me and pulled me against him in a hug. "Thank you," he said softly.

I nodded and smiled up at him. "You're welcome."

We stood for a moment, uncertain of what to do next. We looked at each other, then at the others. McGonagall clapped her hands and food appeared on the tables in the back of the Great Hall.

"Let's eat," she announced with a grin on her face.

We all made our way back to the tables and settled ourselves around one long one, laughing and visiting as we ate. It was more like a giant family dinner than a wedding feast and I loved that. I was happy to be with the people I loved. Most of them anyway. Ron's absence was a sharp pain in my chest.

After we ate, McGonagall clapped her hands and the food disappeared and music began playing. Draco and I started dancing first, followed quickly by Molly and Arthur and Narcissa and Lucius. Harry even asked McGonagall, who laughed and joined us on the dance floor. Ginny was paired up with George and the two of them put everyone else to shame. The afternoon passed in a bit of a haze as I was seemingly passed from person to person. I danced most of the afternoon, only the first time with Draco.

Dusk was finally beginning to fall when I found myself in Harry's arms, twirling around the dance floor. He grinned down at me.

"You look exhausted."

"Oh, then I'm hiding it well. I'm beyond that."

He laughed softly. "You should go to bed then, let everyone party and celebrate while you sleep."

I rolled my eyes. "If only. I'm the bride; I'm expected to be here the entire time."

"Bollocks. Just go. I'll cover for you."

I grinned and stood up on my toes to kiss his cheek. "I have to take Draco with me."

He nodded and grinned. "I think I can get Ginny to assist me in making a diversion." He winked at me.

I grimaced. "No sex."

"Spoilsport."

I pinched his arm as I stepped away from him when the music ended. I caught Draco's eye and nodded my head towards the doors. He grinned and nodded in understanding.

He made his way over to me and lowered his head. "Are we making a break for it?"

I chuckled. "Yes. Harry said he and Ginny would create a distraction for us."

He laughed and kissed me lightly on the nose. "We'll be missed almost immediately. Why don't we just tell them?"

"Isn't it more fun to run away?"

He grinned. "Maybe."

"Ginny Weasley, I have a bone to pick with you," Harry's voice rang out, drawing everyone's attention. Draco and I started towards the doors discretely.

"What's that, Harry Potter," she shot back. I grinned.

"I've been thinking and I think you should move in with me when you get out of school."

I did an about face and marched back into the crowd. Ginny's face was surprised.

"Oh really?"

"Yes really. And to keep it all above board and proper, I want you to do it at the very least as my fiancée."

Here Harry dropped to one knee and pulled out a black ring box. I grabbed Draco's hand and squeezed it excitedly. Ginny's jaw dropped and she stared at Harry for a second before squealing and tackling him, knocking him backwards onto the floor.

George whooped and shot off some sparks from the tip of his wand. Ginny stood up triumphantly, pulling Harry up with her.

"I'm moving in with him, Mum," she announced. "And we'll get married when we want."

Molly's face was blotchy as though it couldn't decide whether to be white or red. I grinned, wanting to laugh at it all, but Draco picked me up and tossed me over his shoulder.

"On that note," he announced, "We're leaving. Thank you all for coming, we'll see you in the morning." He slapped my bum and headed out of the great hall. I laughed and waved over his shoulder at the shocked faces behind us.

In the entrance hall, Draco dropped me to my feet and kissed me. I laughed against his mouth and pulled back. "That has got to be one of the best wedding receptions I've ever been to."

He grinned and started to pull me along behind him up to our room.

Once there, Draco closed the door behind us as I kicked off my shoes and unzipped my dress, draping it carefully over the back of the couch. Malfoy stripped off his dress robes, revealing a white button up and black pants beneath. He sat on a chair and removed his shoes while I headed into the small bathroom in my room to start taking down my hair.

After a few minutes, I jumped at Draco's reflection in the mirror behind me. He'd pulled of his shirt and stood there, wearing just his pants, his hair mussed and his feet bare.

"What?"

"You're beautiful."

I flushed slightly. "Thank you."

He crossed the room, taking over the removal of the pins and adding to the pile on the sink.

"Just how many of these things are in there?" he asked in amazement as the last few were removed.

I laughed. "I have a lot of hair. Magical means were not the only thing needed to keep it up."

He grinned and started to lightly massage my shoulders. I closed my eyes and leaned my head back against his shoulder.

"Not to be mean but you can be quick, right? I'm really wanting to just soak in a tub for a while, maybe sleep in there."

He laughed. "I think I can accommodate you."

I turned then and wrapped my arms around his neck I stood up on tiptoe and kissed him deeply.

A moment later I felt his fingers nimbly undoing the hooks of my bra and then sliding down my sides to the waist band of my knickers. I dropped the bra and stepped out of my knickers, unbuttoning his pants as I did so.

Draco grinned at me and pulled me closer to him, bending his head to kiss me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him back. He lifted me up slightly and carried me into the bedroom, carefully settling me on the covers. He paused then for a moment and studied me.

"Can we? I mean, it won't hurt the baby?"

I laughed. "It'll be fine," I promised. "I looked a few things up before coming to school."

He nodded but still looked uncertain.

I grinned and crawled under the covers. It wasn't cold, the temperature was quite pleasant actually, I just felt like being wrapped up.

Draco crawled into the bed beside me then, pulling me against him and kissing me again.

"I must say, of all the men I could have been forced into marrying, you are perhaps the best looking."

He laughed. "I suppose that's a compliment."

"It is," I murmured, wrapping my legs around his waist as he stretched out over me. He kissed my neck and palmed my breast gently.

"You said you wanted it quick, right?"

I nodded. "Yes. I'm exhausted. We'll linger later. Or we could just wait until later."

"Not likely. I'm ready to go now." He grinned and kissed me on the mouth, using one hand to guide himself in.

I groaned at the connection. We moved against one another easily enough. He bent his body oddly so that he could kiss me until I finally pushed on him to roll so I was on top of him. That finished him. He groaned as I pulled away and curled up beside him, one leg thrown over his hips. He reached between us and palmed my belly.

"He's ok?"

"I'm sure he's fine."

"Good." He kissed the top of my head and pulled me closer to him. "So far, I like being married."

"Me too."


	12. Chapter 12

I yawned and stretched over the back of the wooden desk chair in the corner. I leaned forward and looked out the window at the falling snow. It made Hogsmeade look like some kind of old time postcard, the old buildings with their frosting and icicles.

It had been a month since we were married and Draco was exhausted on a constant basis. He stayed up late at night working on his schoolwork as we both struggled to keep ahead of everything so when the baby was born we wouldn't be too far behind since we were going to take time off. I was secretly hoping we could perhaps finish early and McGonagall and the other teachers seemed to have that mindset as well, giving us some work earlier than the other students.

I pushed myself out of my chair and sighed. I was getting bigger seemingly by the minute. Draco's size wasn't meshing terribly well with mine, creating a big baby, according to the medi-witch we'd seen earlier in the week. She was concerned about his size already and I tried not to think about it too much.

Draco was asleep on the couch, one arm holding a book open on his chest, the other limp as it draped over the edge of the couch. I smiled and smoothed the hair out of his face, leaning over awkwardly and kissing his forehead. I had been about to ask him to take a letter to his parents to the post but he looked so peaceful. I pulled on my cloak and boots, wrapping my scarf around my neck and pulling my hat down firmly on my head before grabbing the letter and starting off into the cold.

It didn't take long and I was relieved to see a short line at the post. A few other people recognized me from the papers and whispered and pointed to me. I ignored them, lifting my chin defiantly. There had been a big to do when my marriage to Draco had been made public. Only those who'd actually been there knew the actual date of it. Some papers speculated that we'd been married for years, perhaps as infants, while others debated the topic. The baby made bigger headlines and caused further speculation, just like McGonagall had said. I wondered when it would eventually die down.

I smiled at the clerk and paid the postage before ducking back through the crowds and heading home. I walked around the house, checking the wards absentmindedly, before entering through the kitchen door. I froze when I heard angry voices in the living room.

"I said, get the fuck out of my house," Draco was shouting at someone. I started towards the living room when Ron's voice froze me.

"I'm not leaving until I talk to her."

"You said plenty last time you saw her," Draco's voice was dangerous. "Now leave."

"She can tell me to go when she gets here," Ron was stubborn.

I stood stock still in the kitchen, not sure what I was supposed to do. Part of me wanted to talk to Ron, but another part was still angry and hurt at what he'd said.

"There's nothing stopping me from forcibly removing you," Draco threatened. "And I won't have to use magic to do it."

"You didn't do anything last time, why should I believe you would this time?" taunted Ron.

"I didn't last time because Hermione was there and I didn't want to upset her. She's not here right now. Neither are Harry or Ginny."

"She was my friend first," Ron said angrily.

"She's my wife now."

Ron was silent and I stepped into the living room then. They were glaring at each other tensely. I cleared my throat, as they hadn't seen me, and Draco turned. His face was hard and angry but it softened slightly when he saw me.

"Ron, what do you want?"

"I want to talk," he said evenly. "Without him." He jutted his chin at Draco.

"Draco will hear everything anyway," I said calmly. I unwrapped my scarf and dropped it on the arm of the couch expectantly.

Ron ran his fingers through his hair agitatedly. "Fine." He shot a murderous glare at Draco. "I came to apologize. I was an arse in November and I'm sorry."

I nodded. "Thank you. I'm sorry I slapped you and yelled back."

He nodded back and stood there, tensely. I sighed and draped my cloak over the couch and crossed the room, wrapping my arms around Ron and giving him a hug. After a long moment, he wrapped his arms around me awkwardly and hugged me back. I sighed softly and leaned into him.

"Remember what you said last summer? We're destined to be friends who annoy the shit out of each other Ron. I'm sorry it couldn't work for us romantically, I really am, but if you can't accept Draco and me and the baby, then you can't be around us. I won't have it."

He nodded against my hair. "I'm trying," he said softly. "I'm here aren't I?"

I pulled back and grinned up at him. "Yeah, you are. Thanks."

He nodded and kissed my forehead lightly, his eyes darting to Draco's face first.

"I would ask you to stay for dinner," I said softly, "but I think that too many things would get broken."

He grinned sheepishly. "I'll see you next month at the party though, right?"

I nodded and grinned up at him. "I'm catering."

He laughed and hugged me again. He released me and stepped back. He glared at Draco one last time before storming out the door. I sighed and looked up at Draco.

"You could have been a little calmer," I muttered, grabbing my things to hang up.

"I could have been a lot less calm, too," he said, annoyed. "He was in _my_ house looking for _my_ wife. I think under the circumstances of our last meeting I was really fucking calm."

I glared at him. "He was here to apologize. Surely you realized that."

He set his jaw stubbornly. "It's my house."

"He's my friend," I shouted, frustrated. "And my house too. I've missed him a lot, in spite of the whole mess. Don't you miss your friends?"

"I never really had any friends," he grumbled, throwing himself onto the couch.

"Then you don't know what you're missing," I sighed. I sat beside him and we stared into the fire.

"I'm sorry," he said finally. "I'm a shit."

I laughed softly and twisted on the couch, kicking my shoes off and leaning against his side. "You'll get no argument here."

He pinched me playfully before pulling adjusting slightly and rubbing my shoulders absentmindedly. I closed my eyes and focused on his fingers. It felt nice.

"Are you scared?"

"Yes."

"Of what?"

I snorted. "The whole thing. I'm scared of being in pain, I'm scared of having a tiny baby entirely dependent on me, I'm scared of not waking up when he's crying and needs me."

Draco kept rubbing. "I'm scared too."

"Great, I feel tons better now."

He chuckled softly. "We'll be scared together, that's the good part."

"I don't see any good in being scared," I muttered, sitting up and swinging around to stretch my legs out towards the fire. "I'd feel better if you were feeling somewhat confidant. I'd think the damned Malfoy arrogance would step in there."

"Malfoy's don't raise their own children," he said lightly. "We hire nannies. House elves. Someone else to do the dirty work."

"That's awful."

He shrugged. "That's aristocracy."

"So you're scared because we'll be doing it ourselves?"

"Yes." It looked like he wanted to say something more but stopped himself. I didn't push it. We sat in silence for a while before I stood up.

"I'm going to bed."

"Already?" he looked surprised.

I nodded. "I'm tired."

"It's early. Don't you want to study?"

"If I wanted to study, I'd study," I said testily. Why was everything he was saying getting on my nerves? We glared at each other for a bit before I headed to our room on the other side of the fireplace.

I waved my wand and started the fire there, changing quickly into my pajamas. Nothing of mine fit anymore so I was wearing a t-shirt of Draco's and even it was stretched taut across my belly. I braided my hair quickly and crawled into the bed exhausted. It was cold without Draco to heat it up. I curled up as small as I could and half heartedly cast a warming spell on the bed. It wasn't the same as having Draco in it with me, but I was irritated with him and didn't feel like going to get him.

I lay in the darkness and listened to the fire as it popped and snapped. I could hear Draco faintly in the rest of the house as he made himself something to eat and settled on the couch to study. I could hear the pages turning and his quill as it scratched across the parchment. I felt like I could hear everything and it was driving me a little crazy. I adjusted in the bed and hissed as I hit an icy spot. I finally sat up and scowled at the fire. I enlarged the warming spell to encompass the bed. I sighed when I felt the heat surround me and I lay back down.

So far, being married to Draco hadn't been that bad. We'd already essentially been living together before, now it was just a little different: we were in charge of the cooking and cleaning. Draco hired a house elf who tended to the cleaning and some of the cooking for us, while we somehow managed to keep up with the shopping that was necessary.

We didn't fight much; we were generally too tired to fight. We'd come home from classes, I'd cook something simple for dinner, Draco would clean up and then we'd start studying. It was a long walk up and back every day and some days, we just stayed there for dinner, camping out in a deserted classroom or even the Room of Requirement for study purposes.

My trip down memory lane was interrupted by a muffled thud and cursing in the other room. I crawled out of the bed and padded into the living room.

Draco was in front of the fireplace, kneeling over what looked like splintered wood. He was nursing his thumb and scowling down at the mess in front of him.

"Generally the wood goes into the fire," I said with amusement.

He looked up startled. "I thought you were in bed."

"I can't sleep." I gestured to the pile. "What's that?"

He looked sheepish. "A surprise."

I raised my eyebrows. "For me?"

He rolled his eyes. "No, for Ron." I grinned and lowered myself to the floor next to him, picking up a couple of pieces of wood and repairing them. "It's a cradle," he said finally. "I was trying to put it together."

"How did it break?" I asked puzzled.

"I lost my balance and fell on it."

I grinned and put a few more pieces back together. "Thank you for trying, but why didn't you just buy it put together?"

"My parents brought it. It was mine."

My heart melted a little and I traced my fingers over the silver M I could see now on the end of the cradle. "When did they bring it?"

"The wedding. They brought a lot of things."

I chuckled. "I remember. Was all of it for us?"

"Some was. Lots of baby stuff. Clothes and the like."

I nodded and sat back as the last piece was repaired and the cradle was whole again. Draco sat back on his butt, his arms draped over his knees as he studied it.

"It's incredible to think I once fit inside that."

I laughed and rested my head on his shoulder. "You once fit inside your mother, think of that."

He made a face. "I'd rather not."

I grinned and took his hand in mine, threading my fingers in his. "I'm sorry I'm so grumpy."

"I'm sorry I'm such an ass."

I laughed softly and propped my chin on his shoulder. "Earlier you said you were a shit."

"Shit, ass, same area of the body."

I snorted and jabbed him in the ribs. "Well, whatever you are, you're mine and I accept your apologies, past, present and future."

"You think I'll be apologizing in the future?"

"I do."

"Horrendous."

I laughed. "I'll apologize, too, I'm sure."

"Well, that I can handle. I think the best part about apologies, actually, is the sex that comes with them."

I raised my eyebrows as he slipped an arm around my middle and kissed my neck. "Apology sex?"

"Yes. It's similar to make up sex."

I giggled as he twisted our bodies so I was flat on my back and he was stretched out along side me in front of the fireplace. He smiled as he lazily dragged his fingers up my legs and made light circles between my legs on the fabric of my knickers. He grinned at me when I lightly pressed my body against his hand.

"Are you going to just tease me?" I asked, already having a little trouble breathing normally. "If so I'm going to bed."

His grin widened and he leaned down, kissing me as he hooked his fingers under the edge of my knickers and lightly stroked my skin. I groaned into his mouth and lightly sucked on his tongue, something I knew drove him crazy. His fingers faltered for a second before he regained himself and gently slid one inside me.

I groaned again, louder this time and he grinned against me, pulling back and propping himself up on one elbow to watch me react to his touch. The first time he'd done that, I'd been embarrassed to be so naked in front of him. Now I didn't mind so much. It was still a little difficult to completely lose myself in front of him while he was barely affected, but soon it would be his turn for the same treatment.

He hooked his hands over the waistband of my knickers and pulled them down. I lifted my hips and helped him pull them off. He tossed them carelessly towards the couch and I sighed softly as he leaned over me to kiss me again, slipping his hand back to its former position. I bit my lip and arched against him.

"You know my body will change, right?" I panted.

He nodded. "I know." He lightly tweaked the nub and I hissed, grabbing his free hand and squeezing it. He grinned at me and tweaked it again.

"Fuck," I groaned.

He kissed me again, pressing his body against mine as he increased the tempo of his fingers on my body. I grabbed his arm and squeezed it tightly as I pitched over the edge head first. He stretched out beside me again, pulling me over so my head was against his chest.

"If I wasn't pregnant, I might need a cigarette," I grinned lazily.

Draco chuckled and propped our arms up, fingers intertwined. "Ready for bed now?"

I nodded and looked up at him. "You?"

"Definitely." He rolled up easily and I gave him a look as he helped me up. I envied his lithe gracefulness in my present condition. He pulled me against his chest and kissed me, walking me backwards down the little hall to our room. He scooped me up and settled me onto the mattress in the little hollow I'd created earlier. He raised his eyebrows at the warmth and I grinned.

"I couldn't heat up the bed on my own."

He rolled his eyes and pulled his shirt and pants off, crawling into the bed with me. He situated himself against me and pulled me in for a kiss, his hand moving down my body and hooking my knee over his hip. I grinned at him. "Really? Already?"

He shrugged. "Watching you is usually enough."

I flushed slightly and wriggled as close as I could to him. My belly was getting in the way these days. After a few awkward tries, I finally pushed Draco onto his back and climbed on top of him.

"Don't stare at my fat," I ordered him.

"What fat? It's all baby," he countered.

I put a finger over his lips and started to rock against him, closing my eyes. I hated the way I looked right now and I wasn't even as big as I was going to get. I was dreading the huge stage. It was sure to debut just in time for the engagement party next month. With my eyes closed and Draco's hands on my hips, I could imagine I was still trim and flexible instead of the water buffalo I'd become.

Afterwards, I rolled off of Draco, feeling on the verge of tears for no real reason other than I felt enormous.

"Hermione?"

"What?" I asked, not looking at him.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

He sighed. "I'm too tired for this."

I swallowed a small sob. "I'm so fat I don't get how you get any pleasure out of any of this and I'm only going to get bigger."

"Don't be ridiculous, you're not fat, you're pregnant. You're gorgeous and glowing and all that shit."

I sighed. "Swear words in the compliment actually kind of negate it in a way."

He rested his lips against my shoulder. "So take that part out. I find you incredibly sexy, Hermione. If we could just stay in bed all the time until the baby was born, I'd be an incredibly happy man."

I laughed softly and rolled over to look at him. "Really?"

"Sure. I mean, I may want to knock you up again quickly just get more pregnancy sex."

I made a face at him. "Nice."

He shrugged and started to play with a strand of my hair. "I've got some more studying to do. You'll be alright without me?"

My jaw dropped. "Really? You're going to go study?"

He nodded. "Yes. I've got an exam in the morning. You do, too, you know."

I shook my head in amazement. "Go, study. I'll be fine here by myself."

"Great." He grinned and kissed me lightly before rolling out of the bed and pulling his pants back on. He disappeared out the door and I pulled the covers up around my shoulders. A moment later, Draco reappeared and set the cradle on the floor next to my side of the bed. He winked at me and disappeared again. I rolled my eyes and finally managed to drift off to sleep.


	13. Chapter 13

"Well, I think if you go in to labor, we'll just let it come," Medi-Witch Donner beamed at me as I pulled my shirt back down.

I looked at her with surprise. "Really? I've still got six weeks."

"Yes, well, the baby is large enough at this point. If we stopped labor to wait another week or so, I'm afraid he'd be too big to be born naturally."

Draco's face blanched slightly. He was nervous enough about the birth as it was, Donner adding to it by mentioning the size of the baby wasn't helping anything.

"So will I still be able to travel?" I craned my neck over my belly to find my shoes and stuff my feet back into them.

"No Apparating," she said sternly, "though Flooing and Muggle methods should be alright."

I nodded and reached for Draco's hand. He helped me off the table and into my cloak. "So I can still make my trip to London tomorrow."

Draco frowned. "You know I'd rather you stay home."

I frowned back at him. "Medi-Witch Donner said I could travel." I looked over at her. "Right?"

She shifted uncomfortably. Even though he didn't have quite the intimidation his father did, no one wanted to be on Draco's bad side. "There's no reason you can't physically," she said finally, looking as though she wanted to flinch away from Draco's frustration.

I smiled triumphantly. "See? I'll be fine. I can go to London to cook for Harry like I planned and then in two weeks, we'll go back for the party."

He was still frowning when we stepped back into the street. "I don't want you to go. I don't like you traveling right now."

"You've made yourself abundantly clear," I muttered. "I have no intentions of doing anything ridiculous, I'll simply be Flooing to Harry's kitchen, spending the weekend there cooking for him and doing some early preparations for the party. I'll be back Sunday evening before bedtime."

"Let me come with you."

"No. I want some time with just Harry one last time before the baby and before he gets married."

"Why?" he demanded. "I don't understand why you want to spend a weekend alone with him. Is Ginny ok with this?"

"She is," I said. "I spent over a year basically living with Harry. I'm closer to him than anyone else and I miss him. I haven't seen him since the wedding because you essentially told everyone that you don't want company."

"I did no such thing," he countered.

I glared at him as we mounted the steps to the cottage. "You were incredibly rude to Ron when he came and you've been less than polite to Ginny whenever she comes to visit. She's started making excuses for why she can't come now."

He took my cloak and hung it up. I started towards the kitchen and pulled out some food to start dinner. Draco followed me wordlessly and settled at the kitchen table to watch me work. He rolled a cup back and forth in his hands, his mind obviously trying to figure out how to word something. I was pretty sure I didn't want to hear what he was about to say. I slid the pan of chicken and rice into oven and turned, my arms crossed over my chest.

"Whatever you're about to say, save it. I'm going and that's final."

I moved past him towards the living room to jot a quick note to Harry to let him know I'd be there the next day after classes. I had just sat down when Draco followed me in.

"Hermione, I really wish you'd listen to me and stay here."

"I've listened to you," I said far more calmly than I felt. "I understand your concerns and if Donner felt they were valid then I would stay home or even rent a Muggle car and let you drive me but she says I'm fine and I'm going and that's that."

I slammed the seal down on the hot wax harder than necessary.

"Hermione, I forbid it."

I turned, my jaw dropped. "You _forbid_ it? Who the fuck do you think you are?"

"I'm your husband and head of the household."

I pushed myself up and stalked over to him. "You are not my lord and master, Draco. You are my husband, yes, but as such that puts us on equal footing. I'm not above you or you above me and frankly, I'm insulted that you would attempt to forbid me to do anything."

He stalked over to me and stood over me, clearly trying to intimidate me into submission. "Malfoy men are always the lord and master, Hermione," he said angrily.

"Then it's a damn good thing I'm not a Malfoy woman," I hissed, pushing past him and moving into the bedroom. Draco swore and followed me into the room.

He scowled as I angrily threw a nightgown into my bag and pulled out some pants and sweaters.

"What if you go into labor?" he demanded.

"Then I'll have Harry Apparate over here and get your sullen ass," I glared at him.

"What if I'm not here?"

I frowned. "Where the hell are you going?"

"I might be out," he said defensively. "I might want to go see one of my friends."

"You don't have any friends," I shouted exasperatedly.

"Well maybe I'll make some and then go see them!" he shouted back, pushing himself up from his seat on the bed and storming into the living room.

I stuffed everything in my bag, throwing in my travel toiletries and walked past Draco to put my bag by the fireplace. He was sitting at the desk in the corner scowling out at the outdoors. I made a rude gesture to the back of his head, knowing full well he could see the reflection in the window.

I gathered up my schoolbooks and headed into the kitchen, spreading out across the table to work until dinner was ready. I could see Draco working in the living room and I periodically stuck my tongue out at his back. It didn't really do anything, but it made me feel some better.

I pulled the food out of the oven when it was finished and served up a plate for myself. I paused for a moment before growling to myself and serving up a plate for Draco. I took it in to him and set it on the desk.

"Dinner," I said shortly.

He nodded but didn't look at me. I headed back to the kitchen to work. I ate while I went over my notes for the Potions exam in the morning for probably the third time. I was pretty confident in my retention, but still wanted to go over things one last time.

By midnight, neither of us had given. I had cleaned up the kitchen, retrieving Draco's dirty dishes and washing them even though I secretly wanted to throw them at his head. I wrapped up the leftovers for Draco to eat while I was in London with Harry. I'd already prepared a few other simple meals for him to heat up this weekend and I was almost regretting it.

I packed up my school bag and left it on the floor by the front door for the morning. I paused in the living room and looked at Draco but he was still working on an essay or something so I headed into the bathroom to shower. I started the water and pulled off my clothes and turned to the side to study my body.

I had changed a lot, that was obvious to anyone. In spite of diligent use of lotions and creams, there was still a fine network of stretch marks across my belly, hips and breasts. I'd heard there was a way to magic them away, but at the moment, I kind of viewed them as a badge of honor. Not all women had stretch marks for the simple reason that not all women had children.

I climbed into the water and washed myself tiredly. My body was swollen and sore and achy and I was just ready to be done with it. Pregnancy wasn't as bad as I'd thought, but it wasn't as wonderful as I'd heard from some women, either. I was definitely ready for the baby to be on the other side, just so I could remotely get my body back.

I climbed out of the shower carefully and wrapped towels around myself before padding into our room. Draco was moving around in the living room, packing up his school bag. I pulled a nightgown on and sat on the edge of the bed to dry my hair.

"Here, let me."

I turned, startled, as Draco sat on the bed behind me and took the towel from me and started to dry my hair for me. I sighed contentedly.

"Thank you."

He didn't say anything. After a while, he put the towel on the bed beside him and started to rub my shoulders.

We didn't say anything as he massaged some of the knots out of my shoulders and carefully worked his way down my back. I lay down on my side, tucking a pillow between my knees to be more comfortable. Draco moved with me and kept massaging.

"Does that feel alright?" he asked after a while.

"It feels wonderful, thank you."

After a while his hands stilled and he curled his body around mine, his hands lightly rubbing my belly as he held me from behind. His lips found my shoulder and I tilted my head, encouraging him towards my neck. He complied and lightly slid one hand down and under the hem of my nightgown. I groaned appreciatively as his fingers started to lightly stroke me. I arched my back and reached down, removing the pillow. I reached behind me and gripped Draco's thigh.

"Why are you wearing so much clothing," I panted.

"I wasn't sure if you'd want to tonight," he muttered against my shoulder blade.

"I always want to."

He released me and rolled away, I looked over my shoulder and grinned as he quickly pulled his pants and shirt off, tossing them onto the floor on his side of the bed. He rolled back against me and lifted my nightgown, carefully finding his place.

I grunted and grabbed his forearms as he moved against me. Creativity was one of the better aspects of late pregnancy sex, I was discovering. Generally, he needed to be behind me. I missed the face to face, but knew that soon enough, we'd be back to that. I also enjoyed it a lot more, typically. I'd never had more than one orgasm in a session before the last couple of weeks. Now it was like being on a beach and being hit with wave after wave until I almost felt like I couldn't take it anymore, but in a good way.

When Draco was spent, he held me against his chest, breathing hard and kissing my damp neck and shoulders. I pulled his arm up between my breasts and hugged it to me, kissing his knuckles as I drifted off to sleep.

The next morning we overslept a little and were in a rush as we hastily dressed and set off for the school. We typically gave ourselves an hour to get up to the school and enjoy breakfast with the other students, but today we stopped at a bakery in town for breakfast sandwiches we ate on our walk.

We hurried up the lawn as the first students were coming out for Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures. Draco gave me a hurried kiss as he hurried off to Ancient Runes and I went to Arithmancy.

I ran up to the owlry before lunch to send off my note to Harry. I saw Draco briefly at lunch before our Potions exam and then we parted again for our afternoon classes. I was exhausted but happy to see Ginny in my last class of the day.

"How are you?" she asked with a grin, hugging me as tightly as she dared as she settled into the seat next to me.

"Angry. Draco had the gall to forbid me from going to London today."

Her eyes widened. "What happened?"

I quickly filled her in on the fight and she sat back, amazed. "Well, what's his reasoning for not wanting you to go? Is it just the concern that you'll go into labor or something?"

"I guess, though I don't know why," I grumbled. "It's not like Harry would have a difficult time getting to him."

She shrugged and stroked her face with her quill. "I guess he's just freaking out a little. Understandable."

I stared at her. "You're seriously taking his side? You hate him."

She grinned. "I do, but I also pity him. He's probably doing his best to be a good husband to you and you aren't exactly the easiest person to get along with at times."

I narrowed my eyes at her and she grinned. "Oh come on, you're bossy, Hermione, and arrogant in your own way."

"Arrogant?" I said indignantly.

Ginny grinned. "Yes. You're incredibly smart and you know it."

I scowled and sat back in my chair. I was already past this part of the book, having gotten the work the week before.

Ginny snickered beside me. "Come on, admit it. Sometimes you're a little arrogant. We all love you anyway, but you are."

I glared at her and sat forward. "I'm not sure about you, but I'm going to listen to the lesson," I said pointedly.

Ginny rolled her eyes but sat forward, too. When the lesson was out, we stood up and I wrapped my cloak around me, hitching my bag over my shoulder.

"I'm off to see Harry now," I announced as we walked through the halls towards the Great Hall and the entrance. "Have anything to pass along?"

"Yes, give him a great big kiss for me," she grinned.

I rolled my eyes. "I meant notes or the like."

She laughed. "No, I sent him a letter yesterday. It's his turn to reply. Tell him I'll see him in two weeks, though."

I nodded and gave her a quick hug before heading back into the cold. I was frankly amazed that the professors were letting Ginny and some of the students leave for her engagement party. Granted, it was being held over Easter break, but it was unusual for students to leave the school over Easter. I was wrapping my scarf around my neck when I heard a voice calling my name. I turned with surprise and frowned when I saw Draco running down the sloping lawn towards me.

"Where are you going?" he demanded. "They're about to serve dinner."

"I'm going home to Floo to London," I said patiently. "I'll have dinner with Harry."

"I thought we discussed this last night."

I raised my eyebrows at him. "I remember you forbidding me and my essentially telling you to fuck off."

"You're still going, even after last night?" he demanded.

"Of course I'm still going," I shouted. "Last night was wonderful, yes, but a good shag isn't going to change my mind."

He scowled at me. "I told you I didn't want you going."

I sighed. "I'm not going to argue with you about this anymore. You can shout at me all you want when I get back on Sunday."

I turned and started down the road towards Hogsmeade. I heard Draco swearing again and I half expected him to rejoin me on my walk but he didn't. I glanced over my shoulder with surprise and watched him stalk up towards the castle. I sighed and kept on.

Once home, I changed quickly and grabbed my bag and a fistful of Floo powder. I stood in the fireplace and shouted Harry's address as I threw it. A moment later I stumbled out of the fireplace in the kitchen at Grimmauld Place. Harry was sitting at the table with a newspaper and a mug of something. He looked up with a grin, jumping up to help steady me.

"Bloody hell, you're huge," he exclaimed.

I rolled my eyes. "Hello to you too."

He grinned. "Hello. How are you?"

"Huge, as you just so eloquently pointed out," I laughed, pulling him into a hug. He squeezed me back, then picked up my bag.

"How's school? And Draco?"

I grunted as I settled at the table. "School is fine, loads to do. Draco's a prat."

He handed me a mug of tea and sat across from me. "What happened?"

I explained everything to him quickly and he sat back, looking into his own mug thoughtfully while I talked.

"You don't think you're just being a bit…inconsiderate?" he asked after a bit.

"Me?" I gasped. "What are you talking about? Is there some kind of conspiracy to take Draco's side in this?"

He grinned. "Ginny agrees with me?"

I scowled at him. "I want to talk to Ron. He'll be on my side."

Harry laughed. "He wants to meet us for dinner if you're ok with that. We thought we'd go to that little café on the park you mentioned last summer."

I felt my face heat up. "Shit, really? Does he know about it?"

He shook his head, grinning. "No, I thought I'd let that be a secret."

I nodded, relaxing. "So what time are we meeting him?"

He checked his watch and stood up. "About 20 minutes. You need to change or anything?"

I shook my head. "I'm alright. I can't Apparate, though. We'll have to either take Muggle transportation or Floo there."

"Oh. Well, I'll call a taxi then." He grinned at me and pulled a Muggle phone out of his pocket. I rolled my eyes and grabbed my back, hauling it upstairs to my old room.

My room was just like I'd left it the day we went to Hogwarts. The bed was neatly made and the desk was tidy. I poked my head in the bathroom and smiled at the fact it was still clean and tidy. Harry'd obviously had Kreacher straighten up for me some, airing the room out a bit. This house had a nasty tendency to go musty after a few days of sitting.

I pulled a cloak out of the wardrobe and pulled it on as I headed back downstairs. Harry was standing at the foot of the stairs waiting. He grinned up at me, shaking his head.

"I can't believe you're pregnant and married to Malfoy."

I sighed and tucked my arm in his. "Me either sometimes."


	14. Chapter 14

I was up early the next day, chopping vegetables and cooking up a storm. Harry had gotten loads of food for me to prepare for him and based on all that, I knew what he wanted so it was easy enough. He surfaced around 10, yawning and scratching his stomach as he entered the kitchen.

"Ron up yet?"

I shook my head. "No, he's still sleeping."

He nodded and poured himself some coffee. Ron had come home with us after dinner, not wanting to go back to the apartment he was now sharing with George. Apparently, George had a new girlfriend and she was over quite a bit. Harry snitched a chunk of cooked chicken out of a pie I was making and popped it in his mouth.

"So is there anything I can do to help?"

"Keep your fingers out of the food," I grinned, slapping his hand away.

"Something smells brilliant," yawned Ron, coming in then. He pulled me into a sleepy hug, kissing my cheek as he took my mug of tea and settled next to Harry. "What's for breakfast?"

"Give me a few minutes and I'll make some eggs," I promised, wrapping the pie up and setting it carefully into the freezer. I started to clear off the counter so I could make breakfast.

"I've been thinking about what you said last night," said Ron awkwardly, scratching his chin. "About Draco."

I tensed. "Yeah?"

"I think that maybe you're being a little harsh."

I stared at him. "No breakfast for you."

"Come on, Hermione," he protested. "Look at it from his perspective. He's probably worried as hell about you and the baby. Harry and I don't exactly scream safe and secure. We've gotten you into loads of trouble in the past."

I scowled at him before turning and starting on breakfast. Harry cleared his throat quietly.

"I can't imagine he's particularly thrilled you're spending the weekend with us, either. He didn't know Ron was here and I have to admit, the idea of Ginny spending a weekend with a guy wouldn't make me very happy."

"But you're Harry," I protested. "Just…Harry."

Harry gave me a look and I sighed. Sex. That's what it all came down to. Draco was probably worried that as horny as I'd been recently, I'd jump Harry or something in the night since we'd already established a rapport.

"Why he thinks that you'd even find me remotely attractive like that I don't understand," I muttered. "I'm sure he's the only one in the world who does and even that I don't get."

Ron grinned. "You're gorgeous, Hermione, all maternal and glowing. Even bitchy and hormonal there's a spark and a…something about you." He shrugged and sipped the tea. "It's incredibly appealing."

Harry and I stared at him in shock. I shook my head and set a plate down in front of him.

"Eat."

He grinned and dug in. Harry hid a grin behind his mug while I dished up a plate for him. I served myself and settled across from them to eat. We ate quietly for a bit before I sighed and pushed my plate back.

"So you think I need to cut him some slack," I said finally.

The boys nodded, forking giant mouthfuls of eggs and sausages into their mouths. I shook my head.

"He certainly has better table manners than you two," I muttered. I wrapped my hands around my mug and sighed.

"Harry, I need to leave early. I should go home."

He nodded. "Thanks for coming, though."

I grinned and stood up. I started to clean up but Harry touched my arm.

"Go home, Hermione," he said softly. "I'll clean up."

I nodded and headed upstairs to get my things. I quickly cleaned up the room and repacked my bag. I turned to go and Ron was standing in the doorway. I paused and looked at him curiously.

"Ron?"

He sighed and came into the room, closing the door behind him. "I meant what I said earlier. You're beautiful and it kills me that I'm only just now seeing all this."

I stared at him. "Ron, I'm not leaving Draco."

"I know. I'm not asking you to. I just want you to know that I'm sorry. I'm sorry it took me so long, I'm sorry I was such a douche about everything, and I'm going to try to be a better friend. I want to start by giving you this."

He produced something from outside the door. I unwrapped it curiously then started to laugh.

"Every mother's worst nightmare," I grinned, putting my arms around him in an awkward hug as I held the training broom in one hand.

Ron squeezed me back, laughing softly. "With Draco as a father, Harry and I as whatever, he will be on a broom before he's walking."

I grinned and wiped a few tears from my eyes. "Oh great. You know I hate flying."

"I do, but you know we'll have him up there."

I chuckled. "I'd expect nothing less from Uncle Harry and Uncle Ron."

Ron smiled at me. "You want me to be Uncle Ron?"

"Yes. Who else is going to teach him bad words and how to get out of doing homework?"

His face lit up. "I have a use!"

I laughed and tucked the training broom carefully into my bag and started towards the kitchen, Ron close behind me. He wordlessly took my bag from me for the short distance.

Harry looked up when we entered and I burst out laughing. The kitchen looked like it had been the scene of an epic water fight. There was soap somehow dripping off the chandelier over the table. Even Ron looked shocked.

"Bloody hell," he whispered, absentmindedly reaching out to take my elbow as we picked our way over the slippery floor.

"The spell got a little out of hand," Harry grinned sheepishly, wiping his hands on his wet t-shirt. I laughed and gave him a hug.

"Let Ginny do it in the future. She's really good at it."

His grin widened. "Good to know."

He pressed an affectionate kiss to my temple and I took my position in the fireplace. Ron handed me my bag and Harry held out the pot of Floo powder. I winked at the boys and shouted out my address as I threw the powder.

Draco was standing in the living room, his wand drawn when I appeared. His eyes widened and he stared at me.

"What are you doing here?" he asked confused.

"I came home because the boys were on your side."

He stared at me, uncomprehending. I sighed and set my bag down and made my way over to the couch. "Were you upset with my traveling because you were concerned about the baby or because you were angry I wasn't obeying you?"

He sat on the couch beside me, looking apprehensive. "Is that a trick question?"

"No."

"I'm concerned about the baby. I know Donner said I didn't need to be, but I am. I can't help it. I don't know what the fuck I'm doing and the only thing that seems to come naturally is worry and be scared."

I nodded. "And Harry?"

He stiffened slightly. "What about him?"

"Were you upset that I was going to spend the weekend with him because I've had sex with him or because of something else?"

He was silent, staring down at the floor. I sighed and reached for his hand, lacing my fingers in his.

"Harry is my past. You are my present and future. I don't cheat. Ever."

He nodded but didn't say anything. I rested my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes. "Are you going to stay angry for a while?"

"Maybe."

I nodded. "Do you want to yell at me?"

He sighed and rested his cheek on the top of my head. "I did but now you've pointed out all my insecurities and apologized and if I did yell I'd be a real dick."

I grinned. "Plus, you can't really win yelling at the woman nearly 8 months pregnant with your child."

"Very true." He slipped an arm around my waist. "So are you going back to London now?"

"No. I'm home until the party in two weeks. Ron did send a gift for the baby, though." I pushed myself up and retrieved my bag. I set it on the couch and pulled out the training broom. Draco's eyes lit up as he lovingly ran his hands over it.

"This is top of the line, Hermione," he said, clearly impressed. "I'm surprised he could afford it."

"It's expensive?" I asked, surprised. "I'm not sure we can accept it if it's expensive."

"We can accept it. It would be insulting not to."

I raised an eyebrow. "You realize that won't hold your weight."

He shot me a look and I grinned. He'd been contemplating trying it out, I could see it in his face. I took the broom from his hands and carried it into the bedroom, carefully setting it beside the cradle. The side of the room next to my side of the bed was slowly taking on a baby's room appearance. There was a changing table under the window and currently the cradle was in the corner. The changing table had been filled with nappys and clothes for ages now, all pulled from the boxes the Malfoys had brought to the wedding. I knew there were loads more but I'd asked Draco to put it somewhere else since our small house couldn't possibly hold it.

I sat on the edge of the bed and stared at everything, suddenly terrified. Before too long, I'd have to use it. I'd have to take care of another person, someone who couldn't take care of himself. I curled up in the bed and closed my eyes. What the hell had I gotten myself into?

I was jerked awake later when Draco crawled into the bed and pulled me against him.

"Sorry," he mumbled. "I didn't sleep well last night."

I relaxed and rolled over, curling into his chest as close as I could. Draco's breathing quickly slowed and deepened, but now, in spite of how drowsy I was, I couldn't sleep. I was thinking about the fact that I didn't feel like I was always on my guard anymore. I'd finally relaxed enough to really sleep at nights, secure in the safety of Draco's presence. I didn't reach for my wand every time I was startled, ready to hex the shit out of whatever it was that had startled me. I was safe with Draco; I knew he would protect me.

I rolled over and scooted my back up against his chest. He hugged me tighter against him and kissed my head in his sleep. I kissed his forearm and drifted off to sleep.


	15. Chapter 15

"I look like Mars," I announced.

Draco looked up from his seat as he pulled his shoes on. "No you don't," he countered.

I gave him a look and smoothed my red dress over my belly. "Look at that and tell me it's not Mars," I challenged him.

He grinned. "You look more like you swallowed a beach ball to be honest."

"Impossible," I grumbled. "I'm plump all over."

He stood up and reached for me. "You're a pear shaped princess."

"Great, now I'm fruit," I muttered. I held out my hands. "Otherwise, how do I look?"

He studied me and a slow smile spread across his face. "Were you intending to wear two different colored shoes?"

My eyes widened and I craned to see over my belly. "Shit, I thought they were both black."

He laughed and rummaged around in the wardrobe, pulling out the other black shoe and kneeling, helping me into it. My feet barely fit anymore, they were so swollen.

"I'm so going barefoot when we get there," I grumbled.

Draco grinned and kissed me lightly as he stood. We walked into the living room and I stepped in first, grabbing the Floo powder and arriving moments later in Harry's kitchen.

Everything was going well so far, to my relief. Harry had hired a few other house elves to help out for the day and Kreacher was directing them smugly. I could tell he loved being the boss for once. He nodded to me as I carefully brushed some of the ashes off me and stepped aside for Draco.

"Master Harry's in the parlor."

I nodded and Draco and I started that way. The parlor was already bustling with people, the entirety of the Weasley clan having come to help set up. As soon as we stepped in, we were ambushed with hugs and when the Weasley's left us, Draco was looking stunned as he held an equally stunned looking Teddy. I was dragged over to an armchair and instructed to sit.

"I remember that stage," Molly clucked her tongue. "Miserable, isn't it?"

I nodded, suddenly embarrassed that such a fuss was being made over me when it was clearly Harry and Ginny's day. Harry winked at me from across the room where he was hanging up something under Ginny's directions.

Draco sat next to me awkwardly. "What am I supposed to do with him?" he whispered. "I don't know anything about babies."

I grinned and reached for Teddy. He beamed at me and came willingly, scrambling over my belly, accidentally kicking me in the process. I grunted and Teddy wedged himself between my side and the arm of the chair, fingering my dress.

"My," he said proudly, looking up at me.

I grinned. "Yes, I'm Aunt Hermione. This is Uncle Draco. Can you say Draco?"

He screwed up his face in concentration, his hair turning platinum as he studied Draco. "Dray," he finally managed.

I grinned and squeezed him. "You're such a clever boy, Teddy."

He beamed at me and began talking animatedly in baby talk, pointing at things. I caught "Ree" and "Nee" for Harry and Ginny and that was about it. He seemed to be having trouble with other names, though he tried valiantly.

Draco proceeded to carry on a serious conversation with him about quidditch and who would take the next world cup. Teddy tilted his head, his eyes turning the same shade of Draco's as he studied him carefully. I finally hefted Teddy into Draco's lap and pushed myself up, waddling over to Harry and Ginny.

"Give me something to do or I'll go mad," I instructed as Ginny wrapped her arms around me. "We came to help."

"You can help by sitting down," Harry said sternly. "You look ready to pop."

"I _am_ ready to pop," I grumbled. "I'm contemplating jumping down the stairs one at a time to jostle him loose."

"Not here," instructed Ginny. "And definitely not now."

I made a face at her and moved over to Ron who was busy setting up tables. "Will you give me something to do please?"

He grinned and shook his head. "No, we're under orders to keep you quiet. Ginny would shit if I disobeyed."

I scowled. "Then I'm going to go lay down until the party. Put Draco to work."

"Will do," he grinned.

I made my way upstairs to lie down in my old bed, sighing contentedly as I sank into the soft mattress. I lay for a bit before adjusting. After five minutes of trying to find a comfortable position, I gave up and grabbed a book I'd left behind and started reading.

A couple hours later, I heard the sounds of people arriving downstairs. I pushed out of the bed and made my way downstairs to be sociable. I lost my nerve at the last minute and ducked into the kitchen to see if Kreacher needed anything.

"Can I help?" I asked, looking at the quartet of elves who seemed to have everything under control.

"No Miss, Master Harry said you are not to be in here."

"He did?"

Kreacher nodded, his ears flapping somewhat with the vigorousness of it. I smiled. "Well, it all looks wonderful. Thank you, Kreacher."

He beamed and shooed me out of the kitchen.

"Hermione!" I was engulfed in arms that were vaguely familiar. I pushed back and grinned at the jovial round face above me.

"Neville! How are you?"

"I'm well. And you! You're enormous!"

"That seems to be the general consensus," I said dryly.

He grinned at me. "And I hear Draco's your husband?"

I nodded, apprehensively.

He shook his head. "I did not see that coming. I would have put you with Ron or even Harry first."

I grinned. "Ron and I tried for about two seconds and Harry and I were always just going to be good friends."

Neville chuckled and we started back into the parlor. Teddy was still in charge of Draco, babbling away while Draco listened intently. He caught my eye and grinned at me. The Slytherin prince was actually fitting in alright among all the Gryffindors surrounding him. I was proud. Teddy turned and waved at me.

"My," he called, babbling on some more. I nodded and started for him.

The party was a lot of fun, everyone looking forward to the celebration and joy that was coming with Harry and Ginny's wedding and, in a different way, my baby's birth.

There was still some shock and doubt among our acquaintances over the relationship Draco and I had. We were both peppered with questions all through dinner and even during the gift opening. Harry and Ginny didn't mind as it took some of the focus off of them.

I shifted in my seat, my back aching more today than in the past. I was definitely ready for this all to be over with. No position was comfortable, though floating in water seemed to help some. After what felt like hours, the party was finally over and Draco and I Floo'd home. I kicked off my shoes immediately and sighed, wriggling my toes in the carpet.

"No more shoes," I muttered. "I'm too huge to make the hike to the school anymore as it is."

Draco grinned and bent over, picking them up. "Want a bath or anything?"

"No," I grumbled. "I want to not be pregnant anymore."

He chuckled. "Sorry, can't really help with that."

I made a face at him and moved towards the bedroom. I was definitely ready to sleep. Or attempt it in any case. Draco followed me, picking up articles of clothing as I discarded them. He looked more amused than anything else when I pulled on my nightgown and levered myself into the bed.

"Shut it," I grumbled. "You get to carry the next one."

He grinned and wrapped the blankets around me, kissing my temple. "I've got some essays to finish up so I'll be in the other room if you need me, ok?"

I nodded and closed my eyes tiredly. I woke up hours later, still feeling achy and sore but now it was slightly different. I heaved myself out of bed and into the bathroom could hear the rain pouring outside and the sound made me have to pee more than the 10 pound baby on my bladder already did.

I closed my eyes, exhausted. I hauled myself up and then frowned as I felt liquid trickling down my legs.

"Oh shit," I muttered. I grabbed a towel and mopped at myself clumsily. "Draco," I called. "Could you come here a moment?"

He appeared in the doorway, his hair disheveled, his eyes bleary. From the lines on his face, he'd fallen asleep on his books. I smiled and gestured to myself.

"It's time."

He stared at me uncomprehendingly for a moment then his eyes widened. "It's time? You're sure?"

I nodded and tossed the towel into the tub. "I haven't had any hard contractions, but I think I've been having some lighter ones all day long." I grimaced then as something slightly more painful hit me. I grabbed the towel bar and breathed in and out.

Draco stood and stared at me in shock. "What do I do?" he asked bewildered.

"Unless you want to deliver your own child, I'd suggest Flooing Medi-Witch Donner."

He nodded and disappeared into the other room. I took a deep breath and headed into our room. I wouldn't take me very long to get everything ready here, we'd practiced this part a few times.

I waved my wand and the covers on the bed were neatly folded to the side of the room and replaced with what were essentially a muggle rubber sheet and some absorbent pads. I pulled out some clothes for the baby and a couple of blankets and a nappy. Draco came in then, his face paler than normal.

"She's out, they don't know when she'll be back."

I froze, my heart skipping in my chest.

"Hermione, I don't know how to deliver a baby," he said in a panic. "What if I kill him or something?"

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "It'll be fine," I said firmly. "Floo Molly Weasley. She's had seven children, she'll know what to do."

He nodded and disappeared again. I swallowed hard against the panic welling up in my chest. If Molly was unavailable, I had no idea what we'd do. I paced back and forth in our room, absentmindedly starting a fire in the fireplace. I could hear pops and hisses as the rain fell down the chimney and hit the flames.

"Where is she?" I heard Molly's voice ringing through the quiet house.

I turned and was engulfed in her arms. She was wearing a patched robe and her hair was all over the place. Obviously we'd woken her. She held me back and beamed. "I'm so glad you called. How far?"

"I'm not sure," I admitted, tightening my grip on her as another contraction hit me.

She freed her arm and pointed her wand at me, nodding with satisfaction at the purple light that emitted from my belly button.

"Not far. Everyone can take a nap." I raised my eyebrows and she conjured a small cot for herself. "It'll be a while, Hermione. Best to sleep now while you can."

I nodded dumbly and climbed into the bed awkwardly. Draco climbed in with me, keeping a safe distance.

We all slept fitfully for the next few hours. The storm outside raged on and kept waking us up periodically. I finally gave up sleeping and took to pacing. I'd heard it helped and I was ready for this to all be through. The contractions hurt.

Around dawn, I heard quiet voices in the other room and then Harry's unkempt head appeared around the door to our room. He grinned at me and motioned for me to follow him.

I laughed softly when I saw Ron, Ginny and Harry in the living room, looking excited.

"What are you all doing here?" I whispered. "There's hours to wait yet according to your mum."

"We haven't let you go through an adventure without us yet, we're not about to start now," said Ron indignantly. "Plus, I've got to be there right away to contradict all the stories people are going to tell him about me."

I rolled my eyes and squeezed his hand as another contraction hit. Ron yelped and shook his hand when I let go.

"Nice grip, Hermione," he winced.

I nodded. "Yeah, just wait till it really starts to hurt.

Ron grinned and shook his hand out.

"What's going on?" mumbled Draco, coming out of our room looking significantly worse for wear.

Ron grinned. "We've come for moral support."

I grabbed Draco's arm as another contraction hit and groaned. He held me upright as Molly came in, looking thoroughly rumpled. She waved her wand at my belly and this time, the light that came from my belly button was bright white.

"It's time," she beamed. I groaned in response. Molly turned to the other three. "You start some water boiling, we've got things to do."

"What's the water for?" asked Draco with confusion as we moved into the bedroom.

"Tea," said Molly simply. "I think it'll do us all some good."

She and Draco were helping me onto the bed when I groaned again with another contraction. I gripped the bedclothes in my fists and bent over the edge of the bed.

"Isn't there something we can do for the pain?" Draco's voice sounded panicked.

"Of course," Molly muttered something and the pain lessened insignificantly. "It won't do much, I'm afraid. Childbirth is magical enough on its own, there's not much magic can do for it." She rubbed my back gently. "Go on and scream if you want. It won't help with the pain, but it might make you feel some better."

I managed a weak smile as another contraction hit me. I wobbled and fell to my knees, Draco and Molly catching me under the arms and lowering me carefully.

"Is this ok?" asked Draco with alarm. "Shouldn't we get her on the bed?"

"This will be fine. I delivered the twins in this position actually. I think that made it easier."

"Shit, this is easy?" I groaned.

Molly lifted up my nightgown and I heard her clucking. "Go ahead and start pushing dear, its time."

I nodded and grabbed a hold of the bed clothes again, pushing as hard as I could. Draco put a hand on my shoulder and another one on my fist while Molly counted to five much too slowly for my taste. I finally relaxed some though now it felt like the contractions were one on top of another. Draco held on to my shoulders and at one point, held me up when my legs started to shake from exhaustion.

Finally, to my immense relief, the pressure eased some and a lusty wail filled the air. I dropped to all fours and started to cry softly. Draco helped me carefully sit back while Molly hovered close with the baby. She handed me the bloody screaming mess and I cradled him against my chest. My son.

Draco knelt beside me, staring down at him in amazement. He gently wiped the baby's forehead with a soft cloth Molly handed him. I looked up at her and smiled.

"Thank you," I said softly. "You're like a mother to me and I'm so…" I stopped and swallowed hard.

Molly smiled, her eyes bright. "I'm honored you asked me," she said softly.

A little while later, everything was cleaned up, our son was washed and dressed and wrapped in a blanket and we were all gathered in the living room with tea and biscuits. I leaned my head against Draco's shoulder exhausted while Ginny cooed down at the baby.

"So what are you going to name him?" asked Harry curiously, peeking at him over Ginny's shoulder.

"I like Scorpius," said Draco thoughtfully.

I snorted. "Scorpius? Do you want him to get picked on?"

"What would you suggest, _Hermione_?" he teased. I sighed.

"Something simple, _Draco_. Maybe William."

Draco shrugged. "I have no objections to that. Maybe William Lucius, after Father?"

I nodded drowsily. "Sounds lovely." I shifted carefully on the couch. William started to cry then and Ginny stood up and brought him over to me.

"I think he's hungry," she grinned.

I nodded and sat forward, unbuttoning the top of my nightgown and clumsily offering my breast to William. Ron's jaw dropped.

"Bloody hell," he muttered, looking away quickly.

I grinned. "Sorry." I studied William's face as he struggled to nurse. Molly shooed Draco out of the way and settled next to me.

"Let me help," she grinned. "I know a thing or two about getting these things to eat. Ron was so difficult the first couple of weeks I thought he'd starve to death. He finally got the hang of it though, and he's eaten like a starving man ever since."

I grinned at Ron's red ears.

"Well, we'll leave you to it then," grinned Harry. He leaned over and kissed my cheek. "Congratulations, Hermione. He's brilliant."

I smiled up at him. "I'm glad you were here."

He squeezed my shoulder. "Wouldn't have missed it for the world."

I blinked back tears and nodded at Ginny. "You and Ron, too." Ginny gently kissed William's head, her hair brushing my bare skin. Ron simply nodded in my direction as the three of them Floo'd home.

"There now," Molly beamed. "He's a quick learner. He'll have it all figured out in no time."

I nodded and smiled. "Thank you again."

"Nonsense, it was an honor." She kissed my temple and stood up. "I'm going to go home now, but if you need anything at all, you just let me know. I'm only a fireplace away."

She smiled at Draco who stood uncertainly across the room. "You might want to owl your parents. I heard they're at the Manor."

He looked surprised. "They are?"

She looked flustered. "You didn't know? Oh dear, maybe they wanted it to be a surprise."

"I'm sure its fine." He looked at me anxiously. "Will you be alright if I Floo over there and check?"

I nodded. "Of course. Just don't be gone long."

"I'll stay until you get back," Molly laughed. "I'll just clean this mess up." She started to gather up the tea cups and plates of biscuits while Draco kissed me hurriedly and Floo'd away.

I shifted again, grimacing slightly. William did seem to have some idea of what he was doing, that was a relief.

Ten minutes later, he'd dropped off to sleep and there was a roaring in the fireplace signifying the arrival of someone. I looked up and grinned as Draco stepped out. A moment later, Narcissa arrived and shortly behind her was Lucius, all laden down with packages.

"Let me see my grandson," grinned Narcissa, dumping the pile onto the couch. I shifted so she could see him and she fairly beamed down at him. "May I?"

I nodded and carefully passed him over. Lucius had put down his pile and was crowding over beside her while Draco turned to me. "Do you need anything?" he asked anxiously.

I shook my head. "Sleep mostly." I yawned to prove my point.

"Oh dear, yes. Go to sleep. We'll take care of this one. We know how it's done."

I nodded, exhausted. Draco helped me up and back into our room. He flicked his wand and the bed returned to its former blanketed glory. He helped me up into it carefully, wrapping the blankets around me.

"You alright?" he murmured.

I nodded, my eyelids heavy. "I'm sore, but I'll be fine."

"I just want you to know, that was the most fucking amazing thing I've ever witnessed."

I grinned. "Thanks."

He kissed me lightly and disappeared into the other room.

I woke up a couple hours later to a quiet house. I climbed out of the bed carefully and wandered into the rest of the house. I smiled when I entered the living room.

Draco was stretched out on the couch and William was in the cradle beside him. Draco's hand was in the cradle next to William, who had somehow managed to work his fist free from the blanket and rest it atop his father's hand. I wished I had a camera.

"I got a picture a little while ago," murmured a voice behind me.

I turned and smiled shyly up at Lucius. "Thanks."

We turned and watched our sons sleeping.

"Thank you, Hermione," said Lucius suddenly. "You saved him. And us."

"He saved me, too," I said softly.

"Can I get you anything?" he asked after a while.

"I'm starving," I admitted. "I was thinking about making something to eat."

"Let us," he said, putting his hand in the small of my back and gently guiding me into the kitchen where Narcissa was, to my complete and utter shock, cooking. "You're family now. Let us take care of you."


	16. Chapter 16

I shook my head as I wiped William's face again. "Honestly, how can you get so messy just sitting with a plain biscuit?" I asked him. He gave me a toothy smile and reached forward, grabbing a loose curl. I carefully extracted his fingers from it and offered him a small chunk of banana. He grabbed it greedily and stuffed it in his mouth.

"Messy," commented Draco, coming up behind me and resting a hand on my shoulder. "Should you be giving him that?"

"Why not?" I asked. "He's six months old. He can chew it with those fangs he's got."

Draco grinned and reached for his son, holding William's back against his chest. "Come on, they want to take a couple more pictures."

I nodded and stood up, smoothing my skirt as we made our way over to the large group of predominantly Weasleys. Harry was holding Teddy whose hair was black today, a small lightning bolt scar visible on his forehead just like Harry's. Teddy grinned and pointed at William.

"Baby," he shouted.

I laughed and nodded, taking my place next to Ginny. She looked amazing in the cream silk robes, her hair glowing against the fabric. I slipped an arm around her waist and leaned close to her.

"You're next you know," I murmured. "Your mum would love to have a few more grandchildren."

Ginny elbowed me and grinned. "We want to be married for a while."

"I'm just saying." I grinned.

Later, I was sitting on the edge of the dance floor, grinning as Ron attempted to dance with his sister with William fast asleep against my chest. Draco dropped into the seat next to me and reached up to loosen his tie.

"Nice wedding."

I nodded. Draco reached over and rubbed William's cheek with the back of one finger. "How's he been?"

"He and Teddy have been sharing the spotlight all evening," I grinned. I think his cheeks have been pinched more today than in the whole of his life combined."

Draco chuckled. "No wonder he's passed out. Should we go home?"

"I might, but you can stay if you want," I offered. "The party will likely go on for a while."

"I'm an old married man now," he laughed. "I prefer the comfort of hearth and home with my wife and son."

I nodded and shifted slightly. Draco stood up and took William from me, draping him over his shoulder. I stood and pulled my wrap around my shoulders. We crossed the room to find Harry and Ginny and say goodbye.

I wrapped my arms around Harry and hugged him tightly. "Congratulations," I said softly.

He squeezed me back. "Thanks for being here."

I grinned. "I wouldn't have missed it for the world." I winked and moved on to Ginny. She beamed up at me and held me tightly against her.

"I'll always wish you were really my sister, but you're close enough," she laughed.

I laughed with her. "I've decided that Harry's my brother so you can be my real sister."

She beamed. "I like that."

Harry gave me a huge grin, then shook Draco's hand.

"Take care of her while I'm gone."

Draco rolled his eyes. "I've been managing fairly well the last several months, thanks."

Harry grinned. "Yeah yeah." He reached forward and patted William's back lightly. "We'll see you when we get back, right?"

I nodded. "Definitely." I gave him another hug and a quick kiss. We started across the room towards the large area where the fireplaces were for Flooing.

"Mione," called Ron. "Wait a second."

I turned and grinned at him. He pulled me into a huge hug. I could smell the firewhiskey on his breath.

"I love you, but like a sister, you know?" he grinned at me. I laughed.

"I know. I love you like a brother Ron."

He beamed and turned to Draco. "I love you too, you git. And I really love little Will, there. I really do. I can't wait until I've got one of my own." He hiccupped and rubbed his eyes a bit. "Are you going home?"

I nodded. "It's late for William."

"Salright. I'll stay and party till it's over."

I nodded, watching with amusement as he teetered back into the other room. Draco raised his eyebrows at me.

"Apparently Ron can't hold his liquor," I laughed.

I stepped forward and grasped a handful of Floo powder and Floo'd home. I stepped out of the fireplace in the large parlor at the Manor, shuddering slightly like I always did when I was alone in here. I refused to let my horror of this room control me and I wouldn't let Draco switch the network to another fireplace.

I stepped out of the way and Draco came through, holding on tightly to William. I reached for him and took him, smiling as he nestled against me.

"I'll put him down," I offered. "You go change."

Draco nodded and kissed me affectionately as we headed upstairs. We parted in the hall and I moved into the room connecting ours, William's room. Traditionally, it was a bedroom for one spouse but as Draco and I preferred to sleep together, we turned it into a nursery.

William had long ago outgrown the cradle and was sleeping in a crib that was black with silver trim. All the furniture was black with silver trim so I'd added touches of red to bring in the Gryffindor side of the family.

I carefully pulled off William's shoes and pants, leaving him in his onsie as I laid him in his crib. He smelled fine and I knew he'd wake us later when he was hungry and dirty. I'd completely change him into his pajamas then.

I passed through the connecting doors into our room and paused. Draco wasn't there. I frowned but didn't think much of it. I unzipped my dress and draped it over the foot of the bed and pulled on a pair of jeans and a sweater. It was early yet for me, I thought I might sit and read for a while before going to sleep.

I was walking around the bed to get my book when I saw something out the window that surprised me.

Draco was still dressed in his black pants and white shirt and he was walking up a small hill to a tree where he'd had a swing as a child. It was pouring rain so he was soaked through. I was curious as to why he hadn't conjured a keep dry charm. I watched him pace around for a while, his head down, his hands shoved into his pockets. I chewed on my lip for a moment.

"Bitsy," I said to the air. A quiet pop told me the house elf had appeared. "Keep an eye on William for me, will you?"

She nodded and beamed. Being put in charge of the young master was a huge honor among the house elves.

I started down the stairs and outside. I was quickly drenched but it didn't bother me as much as I thought it would. I approached Draco carefully as he continued to pace around the tree.

"Draco?" I said uncertainly.

He looked up, surprised. His hair was streaming in his face and he shoved it back absentmindedly.

"Is everything ok?"

He nodded. "Fine."

I studied him for a long moment. "No, something's wrong. What is it?"

He shoved his hands back into his pockets and stared out over the park. "I have a few things on my mind."

"Like?" I moved closer to him. I was starting to feel the chill up here on the hill.

He reached for me and pulled me against his chest, rubbing his cheek against my hair. I wrapped my arms around his waist and looked up at him with concern.

"Draco, what's wrong?" I asked, really alarmed now.

He sighed and pushed me back, looking down at me. His face was troubled. "I love you."

He said it so simply I was sure I'd missed something. "I'm sorry?"

"I love you," he repeated himself, softer this time. "I have for a while now, I was just terrified to tell you."

"Why?"

He studied my face. "You haven't said it back."

I flushed. "I do, though. I love you, too."

He grinned and pulled me against him in a kiss. I wrapped my arms around him and sighed against his body.

"Why do we make some things so difficult?" I chuckled.

He shook his head. "I think that's just who we are. It's in our nature I suppose."

I smiled and pulled his head down to mine, kissing him again. "Wanna practice making another baby?"

He grinned. "Fuck yeah." He scooped me up and carried me inside.

He dropped me on my feet in our room, pulling off my sweater and kissing my neck as he dropped it in a sodden heap.

"Say it," he muttered, his hands moving to my jeans.

"I love you," I whispered, dragging my fingers through his hair. He grinned and kissed his way down my throat to my stomach, pulling my jeans down as he knelt in front of me.

"Again."

"I love you," I laughed as he pressed his face against my stomach, his hands cupping my bum. He looked up at me and grinned.

"I love you, too."

I smiled and knelt, too, pulling on his shirt. "Again."

He pulled me back against him, our skin tingling against each other. "I love you."

I sighed and kissed his neck. "Never be afraid to say that."

"Never," he agreed. He stood up then, pulling me with him, and pushed his pants off. I grinned at him as he walked me backwards to the bed and pushed me in, climbing in over me.

"I love you, wife," he whispered, hooking my knee over his hip and pressing into me.

I closed my eyes and grinned up at him. "I love you husband, so much."

He groaned against my neck when I shifted and lifted my hips, pulling him deeper inside of me. His hand moved down to stroke me and I whimpered softly, grabbing onto his arms. He groaned over me as I came undone around him. He eased himself down, holding himself up on his elbows so as to keep his weight off of me. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and pulled him down for a kiss.

"I love you," I smiled softly.

He smiled back. "I love you, too." He kissed me lightly then rolled onto his back beside me. I snuggled up to him, sighing contentedly. We soon drifted off to sleep.

I woke a little later when Bitsy came into the room with William. She'd changed his nappy and his clothes but she couldn't feed him. I set him on the bed beside me and plugged him in, closing my eyes drowsily. Draco rolled over and nudged his knee up between my legs.

"Everything ok?" he asked, his voice slurred with sleep.

I nodded. "Everything's perfect."

Draco wrapped his arm around me and cupped William's bum in his hand. "Good." He kissed my shoulder and drifted back to sleep.


End file.
